


Dead Heat

by themetalmotel



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bottom Mickey Milkovich, Friendship/Love, Gallavich Endgame, Heavy Angst, Ian Gallagher Loves Mickey Milkovich, M/M, Mickey Milkovich Loves Ian Gallagher, Pining, Protective Mandy Milkovich, Smut, Terry Milkovich Being an Asshole, Top Ian Gallagher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-06-22 18:16:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 49,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19676188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themetalmotel/pseuds/themetalmotel
Summary: After being beaten and dropped at the hospital at the age of 4, Ian is placed into foster care.  His abusive and alcoholic father told his siblings he was dead.  He is then adopted by a wealthy Senator and his wife, but raised by his nanny.  She is the only one that has ever shown him love, other than his siblings, but he thinks they didn't care either because they never tried to find him.When he is older, he goes to school to become an equine vet, liking animals more than people.  He is highly introverted and avoids talking to people and forming relationships.  He gets a job working for a famous race horse owner, Terry Milkovich,  who has several winning thoroughbreds.  He meets Mickey the horse trainer and develops a crush but keeps it to himself because he doesn't think he is good enough or deserves love. Mickey thinks he is an arrogant prick but slowly starts to see the real Ian and wants to get to know him better. Only problem is Mickey can't act on his feeling because of his homophobic father.Thank you in advance to Lynna for being my beta!  xoAs always, there will be lots of pics to accompany the story.I hope you enjoy!  xoxo





	1. Prologue

*****

“It’s a boy!” The doctor announced as the little ginger’s cries were heard throughout the delivery room. He was presented to his parents, then ushered off quickly to be cleaned. The little boy’s hair was red. No, orange. He had the perfect little nose and mouth and his eyes were blue, as most babies are when they’re born. Monica knew they would turn green as he got older.

“Mon, he looks just like Clayton, red hair and all.” Frank said smiling, until his memory of finding Monica with Clayton together hit him hard, hearing some fishy excuse as to why they were together.

“No, Frank, he looks just like you.” Monica said, trying to convince her husband that the baby was not his brother’s. It was a quickie fuck in a bar bathroom. Frank caught them exiting the dirty space looking disheveled, but Monica was a good liar and even a better convincer.

“I didn’t notice.” Frank said, as the realization that this kid had a better chance of being his brothers than his. “Gonna go out for a smoke.” He told her before exiting the hospital and heading for The Alibi with no intentions of coming back.

Monica needed to rest and was in no state to argue. She fell asleep before being woken up to feed her newborn.

The nurse came in with the premade bottle because no way in hell was Monica breastfeeding. She held the little boy in her arms and fed him, watching every little movement and listening to the little sounds he made. The longer she looked at him, the more she was certain he was Clayton’s. He really did look just like him.

When asked his name, Monica told them he would be “Ian Clayton Gallagher”.

When Ian was allowed to come home, he would share a room with his big brother Phillip. Fiona had a small room to herself. Frank and Monica were in the room at the end of the hall, and Frank’s mother took the fourth. Between the three adults they somehow managed to keep the children alive. When Ian was born, Fiona was five and Phillip was one.

As the kids grew up, they were left with Fiona more and more. Frank’s mother went to prison and Monica was around less and less. Frank spent most of his time drinking away the pain. That left the little girl to take on a motherly role, making sure the boys were fed, bathed, and clothed.

  
Ian was two when he became the target of Frank’s anger. He hated the boy and could barely look at him. He was a constant reminder of Monica’s infidelity. The abuse started as a spank on the ass, a hand to the back of his head, then the constant berating.

Fiona would try to comfort Ian after each episode, sometimes letting him sleep with her at night. The beatings became more frequent and much worse once Ian turned four. The little boy was petrified of his father. He couldn’t understand why he was the only one that Frank hated. He never bothered Phillip or Fiona. He guessed he was just a bad boy who deserved it for some reason.

Monica had taken off without any word and was away for longer than she had been in the past. The longer she was gone, the meaner and drunker Frank became. After one night of drinking, he took Ian and threw him down the stairs, walking back down and stepping over him to grab a beer..

Fiona ran down the stairs screaming at Frank to call the ambulance.

“He’ll be fine.” Frank muttered as he turned on the TV.

“I’m calling an ambulance!” Fiona shouted.

“Wait. Fine, I’ll take him to the hospital.” Frank said, as he grabbed the keys to his mother’s old beater.

He put Ian in the back and took off, barely missing the cars parked along the street. By some miracle, he made it without incident. He pulled directly outside of the ER and yelled for help.

Once they came for Ian, Frank told them he would park and be right in. He went home.

“W-w-where’s Ian?” Fiona asked still sitting on the stoop crying.

“He didn’t make it, kid.” He told her before throwing the keys on the table and walking past her to his bedroom.

Fiona stayed on the steps for the rest of the night sobbing for her little brother.

*****

“Hi, little lady. Is your dad home?” The officer said sweetly to Fiona.

  
“No. He didn’t come home last night. He’s probably sleeping at The Alibi.” She said, knowing too much for a girl her age.

“You okay here by yourself?” The officer asked.

“Better than when he’s here.” She answered, before shutting the door.

They found Frank in the alley next to the bar, passed out by the dumpster.

“Ian? Kid’s not mine. He’s my brother’s. Clayton. Clayton Gallagher.” He replied before falling back to sleep on the cold ground.

The cops knew Frank well enough to leave him where he was since it was where he would end up at the end of the night again anyway.

The officer looked up the brother and found his address. His next stop would be to pay Clayton a visit.

Clayton agreed to go to the hospital to see the boy and requested a paternity test, and sure enough, Ian was indeed his son. Clayton had plans to go home and tell his now wife about the boy which meant that he would have to admit to infidelity.

As much as Clayton wanted to bring Ian home, it was just not going to happen, unless he left his wife and kids. She threatened him and made him turn the child over to CPS.

*****

Ian was put into the foster system once he was healed. The home wasn’t too bad. There were three other children in his room, two in cribs and another little girl about his age. He was allowed to watch TV and they had games that he could play. The best part was that he never was hit or yelled at by anyone.

He was only in the home for three months before a prospective couple wanted to meet him. Ian was very shy and quiet, not wanting to make too much noise or cause any trouble. When he met the couple, he just smiled and spoke in single word answers.

Once they left, he figured it would be the last time he would see them but just two weeks later, he was picked up by a nice lady who drove him to his new parent’s home.

  
“Dis is it?” Ian asked the lady.

“Yes, honey. This is your new home. Do you like it?” She asked.

“S’weally big. How many people live in d’ere?” He questioned.

“Just your new Mommy and Daddy and now you.” She responded.

“They must got lots of money.” He responded.

“Well, why don’t we go check it out?” She said while unbuckling her seatbelt.

The social worker walked around to Ian’s side and opened the door to help him out of the child seat.

“Do you think they’ll like me?” Ian asked nervously.

“I think they are going to love you.” She told him as she held his hand and walked towards the front porch.

The social worker stayed for a short time until Ian was acclimated with his new parents. She gave him a tight squeeze and kissed his chubby little freckled cheek. “Be good, Sweetheart.”

“I will be. Promise.” He responded.

Ian couldn’t believe his new house. It was as big as Ian’s entire block in Canaryville. His room was as big as the living room and kitchen combined, at least. It was filled with books, toys, a comfy bed with lots of stuffed animals and pillows. He had a bathroom in his room, too. When he looked out of his window, he could see a pool and a very big back yard.

“There’s someone we want you to meet tomorrow, Ian.” His mother told him.

“Weally? Who?” He said excitedly.

“Her name is Maria. She will be your nanny.” She told him.

“Like my Mom Mom?” He asked quizzically.

“No, Ian. She will take care of you when we are not here.” She explained.

  
“Oh, like Fiona.” He said simply.

“Who’s Fiona?” She asked.

“My sissy.” He replied.

“Well, I really think you’ll like her.” She told him.

“Okay.” He smiled before taking a sip of his apple juice.

Ian spent the rest of the day playing in the pool while his parents read in their chairs. Once he was tired out, he was given dinner then tucked into his cozy new bed.

*****

The next morning after breakfast, he was introduced to his nanny who he found out would be living in the room next to his. She was very nice and Ian thought she was beautiful. She had hazel eyes, long black hair, and she smiled all the time.

Ian didn’t really see much of his parents once Maria arrived. His father had to work and travel a lot and his mother was always with him. They promised to bring him along soon.

He really didn’t mind because he had a new best friend who was so much fun to be around. She was always praising him and telling him he was a good boy. They went shopping together, played in the pool, she always would play with his toys with him, and she read him two stories every night before bed. She was a really good cook, too. She made him his favorite pancakes in funny shapes.

Maria told Ian that they both would be joining his parents on his father’s next trip for a couple days so he could be introduced to everyone. Ian was excited to meet his father’s friends.

Maria and Ian shared a room at the hotel and he was given an outfit to wear. They must have been going somewhere fancy because he had to wear fancy clothes and shoes. Maria dressed him and took several pictures because she said he looked cute as a little button which made him giggle.

There was a knock at the door and Maria answered to find the Senator’s staff ready to usher Ian into the press conference. Senator Monaghan had suffered some bad press recently and his advisors suggested adopting a poor child in foster care to boost his ratings. Today would be the day that Ian was introduced as Ian Monaghan, adopted son of Senator Noel Monaghan and his wife Riley Fisher-Monaghan.

From that point on, Ian’s life was a series of press conferences, rallies, debates, and everything else the political shit show entailed. His only saving grace was his Maria. His parents showed little to no interest in him otherwise and were barely home most of the time.

Ian didn’t understand it and Maria wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to him. She distracted him by bringing him to her brother’s farm. There he learned to ride and care for horses and that was when his love affair began.

When Ian was finally ready to head off to college, he wanted to become an equine veterinarian and that’s just what he did. His parents obviously footed the bill and he received a large trust fund. When Maria was no longer needed, he insisted his parents give her a large compensation package, which they did to avoid Ian starting any shit that could come back to them.

Ian landed a job at a ranch working as a personal vet for Terry Milkovich, who owned many winning racehorses and was always training more. He was starting his job the following week so he and Maria went out for a celebratory dinner.

“Mi, Jengibre, I am so very proud of you. You have grown up to be such a kind, smart, and thoughtful man and I know you will be very successful.” Maria told her son. Yes, she thought of Ian as her son.

“Thank you, Ma. I hope you’re right.” He responded.

“I know I’m right. I have faith in my boy.” She said.

The next day, Ian packed up his equipment and headed to the ranch for his first day of work. He was nervous but excited at what the future would hold for him.


	2. Dead Heat Stables at Milkovich Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian’s first day is going extremely well, until it isn’t. Mickey makes a very bad impression. 
> 
> This is another little shortie but I needed to get some details out of the way. They meet in this chapter so my upcoming ones will be longer and beefier. Like Ian's cock. 🐓

*****

Dead Heat Stables, a name synonymous with success at the highest levels in thoroughbred racing, breeding and sales, encompasses more than 1600 acres. Founded in 1989 by Terry Milkovich, Dead Heat Stables has represented excellence for 30 years. We are firmly committed to the goal of being a prominent, nationally-recognized breeding and racing entity. We look forward to the future and our entire staff embraces the daily challenge to breed, raise, train, and produce quality equine athletes.

Our stables boast state-of-the-art breeding and training facilities, featuring:

  
7/8-mile training track with two starting gates

5/8-mile turf course

5/8-mile all-weather uphill gallop

13 barns with 346 stalls, including 54-stall and 48-stall centerpiece training barns

Clocker's stand and observation building

All new paddocks and fields

Round pens, hot walkers

Equine cold saltwater spa

Eurocisers and natural equine swimming pond

Our General Manager, Ronald Milkovich has overseen the farm's operation since it’s inception. During that time, well over 100 Indiana-bred stakes winners and 12 Grade 1 winners have been bred by the farm, including Indiana Champions Nightmare Aware, Evil Gravity, Sunshine Eclipse, Forest Fire, Black Fury, and Meet Your Maker. In 2001-2004, Ronnie helped manage the training and racing career of Kentucky Derby & Preakness winner Good Jeans, for the Chapman family. Leading Florida stallions such as Bail Money, Stormy Assault, Tropical Dog, and Under Your Skin, have all stood at Bridlewood under Milkovich’s guard.

Mikhailo (Mickey) Milkovich was born and raised on Milkovich Manor where he spent much of his youth fox hunting, as well as showing, and working around steeplechase horses. Mikhailo’s professional career in thoroughbred horse racing began as an apprentice jockey at the age of 17. He won two graded stakes and was the leading apprentice in the country before his riding career ended due to injury in 2009. Mickey was an assistant for trainer Nathanial Brocket for five years, working with such standouts as Voodoo Hex, Winning Quest, and Forbidden Fruit, to name a few, before taking on the role as head trainer.

“Does that sound okay? I need to submit this to our webmaster before the end of the day for an update before the weekend. I submitted Ian’s last week so he’ll be on the site this weekend, too.” Mandy asked her brother.

  
“The fuck you have to mention my injury? Sounded fine the way it was and has been for the past ten fucking years. Why the change now?” Mickey asked.

  
“The entire design is being updated and I wanted all of the staff to have a similar format.” She answered.

  
“So the new guy starts today, thank God. He doesn’t know what he’s walking into but he is going to be busy as fuck. Hope he doesn’t scare easily.” Mickey said, lighting his second smoke and refreshing his coffee.

  
“Yeah, well I think this is his first job as the lead vet so I’m sure he’ll want to impress. What did you think of him in the interview?” She questioned.

  
“Had to be a phone interview since I was out of town, but I liked his philosophy and he seems nice enough. Smart as hell, too.” Mickey responded.

“Good. You know Terry doesn’t like a dummy.” She said sarcastically.

  
“That’s ironic as hell since he’s the biggest dummy I know.” Mickey laughed.

  
“You said a fucking mouthful there. So fucking glad he is on the road for the next month. Place runs so much smoother.” Mandy sighed, clicking submit to send the final version to her web designer.

  
“Alright. Gotta go. Busy day today. We have four new horses coming in.” He said as he exited the office.

  
Mandy managed the office as well as marketing for the stable. She loved her job and was good at it, too. Both she and Mickey had small houses on the land, away from the main property. Terry was a bitch to deal with and though the main house was large enough for all of them, they preferred living in peace. Ronnie lived in the guest quarters in the main house with his brother.

  
The business was a well oiled machine, with Ronnie taking good care of his employees and trying to be the buffer when Terry was around. The only nurturing bone in his body was for his horses. His kids were employees as far as he was concerned.

  
Ronnie didn’t have a close relationship with his brother either. He tried to stay away from Terry at much as he could and since he did all of the scheduling, he tried to make it easy on everyone, sending Terry out on the road as much as he could without the man getting suspicious.

  
All in all, it was a good place to work and the staff got along very well. They were all looking forward to meeting their new team member and getting him acclimated quickly.

*****

  
Ian pulled onto the long and winding road that led to the stables. The property was stunning, with white fencing running the length of the drive and over the property, separating the paddocks. The place was absolutely massive and there were golf carts running all over the property since there was no way to walk the grounds and get much accomplished.

  
He was told to meet Ronnie outside of the main stable, which was remarkable. The wood had a stain with a hint of cherry and black wrought iron accents. Large windows graced the front of the building with a large entryway, which lead to the most beautiful horse stalls Ian has ever seen. The stall area had a window running the length of the ceiling to let in natural sunlight. The stalls were made of black wrought iron as well and just beautifully designed. Large plants lined the walkway giving it a sense of the outdoors while inside.

  
He walked through the main door and found Ronnie on the phone, obviously on a business call. He smiled at Ian and mouthed “Just one minute” to him. Ian smiled back and looked around in the immediate vicinity, in awe that this is where he worked now.

  
Once Ronnie was off the phone he welcomed Ian and took him for a tour. The tour was extensive and took them a couple of hours to cover the entire property and meet the staff. He was happy that they all seemed to be very nice and personable. Ian was very shy and kept to himself, but he really was going to try to come out of his shell a bit. It just made it easier when there was no friction.

  
Ronnie brought Ian to the vet facility last, helping him with the personal effects he had brought along. Ian would have a staff of two assistant vets working with him. Both were female and seemed very shy, which was a relief since he figured he wouldn’t have to make conversation with them on the daily. He was going to try, but he wasn’t good at it. He assumed the less he talked, the better off he would be with them, but then he remembered the advice his mother gave him and his promise to her to at least try.

  
“So I think you met everyone but Mick. He has some new horses coming today so he is busy as shit. Might not get to meet him until tomorrow.” Ronnie told him.  
“No worries. Whenever he has time is fine.” Ian responded.

  
“I know he’s looking forward to working with you. Said you have a similar take on horse care, which is a hell of a lot better than what he used to say about the previous vet, so you are already in the clear with him. He can be a little rough around the edges but he’s a good kid.” Ronnie offered.

  
“Looking forward to meeting him, too. Are these all of the charts?” Ian asked, pointing to the large pile on his desk.

  
“Yeah. For today.” He laughed. “I’ll leave you to get to it. The girls will help you get acclimated but you call me if you need anything, alright?” Ronnie offered.

  
“Thanks, Ronnie. I look forward to working with everyone.” Ian said, as Ronnie shook his hand and left him to it.

  
Ian had a productive day and felt good about himself. He didn’t have any problems with his patients and he was happy with his assistants’ performance as well. Both girls were smart as hell and very willing to help, and for that he was thankful.

  
Ian had worked until 8 that evening and was exhausted and ready to head home. He had let the girls leave an hour before him as he caught up on some reading and got acclimated with the equipment.

  
He was locking up and making his way to his car when he heard voices in the distance.

  
“What kind of asshole drives that shit to work on a fucking farm? Ever hear of a truck?” Mickey said, half pissed after seeing the Maserati Ghibli S Q4.

  
“What’s wrong with that, Mick?” The other voice responded.

  
“That car is like a hundred grand. Fuck, he sounded so normal on the phone. Didn’t realize he was the Senator’s son until Mandy just fucking told me. If I would’ve known that, my decision would’ve been much different.” Mickey spat.

  
Ian cringed internally. He hated this fucking car. He wanted a fucking truck but his parents insisted that he drive something more suitable for the son of a Senator.  
He was sick at his stomach. Mickey already hated him and they hadn’t even met face to face. From the sound of their voices, he knew he would see them when he walked over to his car.

  
“Oh, hey Ian!” Mark, one the the yearling managers said, hoping that he did not just hear the conversation.

  
Mickey’s head shot around and he caught a glimpse of the most beautiful man he ever laid eyes on. Fuck. God, he hoped Ian hadn’t just heard that conversation. Great first impression, he thought.

  
Ian just nodded, wanting to get in his car and go home.

  
“Hey man, I’m Mickey.” He said, walking over to Ian.

  
“Yeah, I got that.” Was all Ian said before getting in his car and pulling out of the spot to head back to the main road.

  
Tears welled in his eyes as he tried to blink them away. He was having such a good day and he was sure this would be a turning point, but here he was, crawling back in his shell. He tried so hard to be likable; to be helpful and smart, but people just didn’t like him for some reason. Never did.

  
Fuck it. He would just keep to himself. Better off that way, anyway. He would do his job then leave. Fuck making friends and fuck talking to people. They would all just end up not liking him anyway.

  
“Fuck. What was that?” Mickey said to Mark.

  
“He obviously heard you, Mickey. He was really nice when I talked to him earlier. You really should fucking apologize tomorrow. Is this the way you want to start a relationship with someone you will be working so closely with?” Mark warned.

  
“Guess not. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.” Mickey promised, feeling pretty shitty about himself.

*****

“Hey, Ma.” Ian said, once he regained his composure. He knew he would have to call his mother and give her an update.

  
“Hello, sweetheart! How was your first day?” She asked excitedly.

  
Ian didn’t want to upset her so he told her everything was great. He described everything about his day, sans the Mickey encounter.

  
They hung up after twenty minutes and Ian grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat out on his deck to have a smoke. He had a beautiful view. The sky was so clear and the moon was close to being full, making the sky bright.

  
He thought about the encounter with Mickey. He should have stayed to talk to him because tomorrow would be awkard as fuck. He couldn’t get over how beautiful the man was; the same man who had insulted him and assumed he was a dick. Unfortunately, something about his attitude detracted from his looks and Ian thought maybe that was for the best. He didn’t need that shit either.

  
He finished his beer and hopped in the shower before setting his alarm and turning in. He knew he would have to face Mickey tomorrow, and now he was nervous as fuck. Luckily, he had been so busy that sleep overtook him and he was out in no time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading and check out my first ever one shot!! Mickey is a masseuse who has to give a Nuru massage and guess who he gives it too. 🔥
> 
> Feedback and kudos are always appreciated! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! 🙏🏼🙌🏼😘


	3. Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey find out they have to go on a trip together. Mandy makes their reservations.

*****

“Jesus Christ, Mickey. I didn’t tell you to piss you off. I just thought it was interesting but you have to treat the guy like an asshole! He seemed really nice and everyone liked him a lot. No wonder he didn’t fucking talk to you. If I would have heard you say that shit about me, I would have kicked your ass!” Mandy yelled at her brother.

“Calm the fuck down, Apollo Creed. I had a bad day, said something I should have kept to myself, and he heard it. I can fix it. I’m going to apologize to the guy today.” Mickey replied.

“You fucking better. His first day on the job and he has to put up with that bullshit. God, you can be such an asshole. Get the fuck out of my office and don’t come back until it’s fixed.” She continued, pointing at the door with a scowl on her face.

“Fine. Fucking drama queen.” He said as he put his hands up in defense and walked to the door.

“What was that?!” She hollered behind him but got no response. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Mandy picked up her phone and dialed Ian’s office number. 

“Vet office.” Ian said as he answered the phone.

“Good morning, Ian. Can you stop by the main office when you get a chance? I need your signature on the order before I can put it through for you.” She requested, hoping it would be sooner rather than later so she could apologize for her asshole brother.

“Yes. Sure, Mandy. I’ll be right there.” Ian replied.

“Great. See you in a few.” She said as she started to brew a fresh pot of coffee.

Just as the coffee finished brewing, Ian walked through the front door looking like a dream. 

“Good morning, Mandy. Sorry about that. I could have sworn that I signed the requisition.” He apologized.

“Oh, shit. You did, Ian. I am so sorry. I must have missed it.” She told him. 

“While you’re here, would you like a cup of coffee. Freshly brewed.” She offered.

“Uh, sure.” He said hesitantly.

“Have a seat. How do you take it?” She questioned.

“Light cream, one sugar.” He responded.

Mandy handed the cup to Ian then poured herself a refill before sitting across the desk from him.

“So, how was your first day?” She asked.

“Um, well. It was good. The techs are great. They’ve been super helpful with getting me oriented. Everyone seems very nice.” He said, but his voice trailed off at the end.

“Everyone but my brother?” She said pointedly.

“Thanks for the coffee, Mandy. But I have to head back. Bill is bringing one of the yearlings over and I want to be there when he arrives.” He answered as he got up quickly.

“Listen, Ian. My brother can be a real dick sometimes and I apologize. He shouldn’t have made any assumptions about you and he feels really bad that he did. He really is a great guy once you get to know him.” She offered.

“Ok. Thanks for the coffee.” He said as he closed the door behind him.

Mandy felt like she had met a different person than the day before. Ian was short and much more quiet and he looked fucking sad. She was even madder at her brother. Goddammit. 

*****

Ian got on the golf cart and finished his coffee quickly before taking off. He saw Mickey pass in a black truck that looked like it was just as expensive as his fucking car and he just shook his head.

He had a shitty morning and was fucking pissed off that he had to go to work and deal with this bullshit on the second fucking day. He hated Mickey for putting him in this position and making him feel miserable. Asshole.

When he made it back to his office, he opened the email from Bill then retrieved the yearling’s medical file. As he was reading through it he heard the door open.

“Hey, Ian. Sea Foam is in the examination room with Lucy. She’s taking his vitals.” Bill offered.

“Hey, Bill. Thanks. Just reading through his file.” He said as he got up to shake his hand.

Ian brought the file with him as both men went into the exam room. Ian froze when he saw who was in the room with Lucy. He did not need this shit first thing in the fucking morning.

“Hey, Lucy. How are his vitals?” Ian said, as he completely ignored Mickey.

“Everything is perfect but he seems to have an upper respiratory issue.” She told him.

“Think he’ll be okay, Doc? We have high hopes for this one here.” Bill questioned.

“Just need to look at a few things but the fact that his vitals are good is a good sign. May be something he’ll grow out of, but I need to do an examination first.” He responded. 

Ian was notoriously gentle with his patients. He loved horses and his teachers always called him the horse whisperer. Everyone looked at him with awe as he performed the exam without even a flinch from the horse.

“It looks like a displaced soft palate. It’s pretty common in younger horses and usually resolves itself with maturity. You may want to think about changing up the equipment you use on him. Might help. I’d like to monitor him and if I see any changes, I will want to do an endoscopic examination.” Ian told him.

“So, nothing serious?” Mickey asked.

“He looks fine. Like I said, I want to keep an eye on him until he outgrows it, otherwise he may need surgery but I wouldn’t worry about that quite yet.” He replied without looking at Mickey.

“Uh, good. That’s good. Thanks.” Mickey said humbly.

Ian took off his gloves and went to wash his hands as the two men exited the room with the horse.

“Thanks, Lucy. Great job.” He praised.

“Thank you, Ian. I like your style. The previous vet would have went straight for surgery.” She admitted.

“Oh, no. Only if necessary. Some things can be self-resolved. That would have been egregious of me.” He smiled.

“I agree with you.” She smiled, as she started to clean up the room for their next patient. 

Ian went back to his office to update and file the chart. He knew that eventually he and Mickey would have to have a conversation and probably have to travel together, but he was in no mood to try to deal with him today. He was still pissed off so the fucker could wait.

*****

After helping Bill with Sea Foam, Mickey decided to head over to talk to his sister and get some advice, though he wouldn’t admit that with a gun pointed to his head.

“Hey, Mandy. Can I talk to you for a second?” Mickey asked as he entered her office gingerly.

“You apologize yet?” She asked quirking her brow.

“Uh, no. Not sure how. I tried talking to him but he wouldn’t even look at me.” Mickey said honestly.

“Well, that’s what you get for being a dick. I brought it up this morning and he practically ran out of the office.” She told him.

“I think he got his feelings hurt and wants to make me sweat it out. If that’s the case, fuck him. He needs to grow some fucking balls and get the fuck over it.” Mickey spat.

“Ya know, that’s not really nice, Mick. You should try again. If he doesn’t come around then at least you made an honest attempt, but you were the dick who started this mess.” She told him.

“I will.” Mickey responded and left his sister’s office.

He couldn’t figure out why this was bothering him as much as it did. He normally wouldn’t give a shit if he pissed someone off, but he legitimately felt really bad. He would give it another try before the end of the day.

“Hey, Mick!” Ronnie hollered to Mickey as he was walking to his truck.

“Hey, Uncle Ronnie.” He responded.

“I need you to check out a couple horses for me. I spoke with the agent this morning and he has several people interested so I need you to get out there as soon as possible. I will talk to Ian, then let Mandy know to make the arrangements.” He told him.

“Send me the reports so I can preview them.” Mickey responded.

“Yeah, I’ll get them over to you both. I want to meet with you before you leave to make sure all three of us are on the same page here. Need you to keep an eye on him and make sure he’s looking at everything he should be.” Ronnie told him.

“Yeah, I would even do that with you, ya know. I always double check.” Mickey winked.

“Yeah, get the fuck out of here. I’m going to see Ian now.” Ronnie retorted.

Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck. Mickey said to himself when he got far enough away from his uncle. He really wanted to have a good relationship with his vet, for Christ sake. This is critical to both of their jobs. He would definitely have to talk to Ian before they leave to break the ice. He wasn’t going to deal with the entire trip being awkward and feeling like he had to walk on eggshells.

*****

“Hey, Ian. How’s it going?” Ronnie asked as he entered Ian’s office.

“Hey, Ronnie. It’s going well. What can I do for you?” Ian replied.

“Need you and Mick to go check out a couple of horses. I will send you the agent reports on them. I gotta get you both out there fast since there is a lot of interest around them. Is that gonna be okay for ya?” Ronnie asked.

“Uh, yeah. Sure. When would we be leaving?” Ian asked, while swallowing the lump in his throat.

“Thursday would be best. You would come back on Saturday. The farm is in Ocala, Florida.” He told him.

“Yeah, sounds good.” He replied.

“Great. I’ll let Mandy know to make the reservations.” Ronnie told him. 

“She’ll email them over. I want to meet with you and Mick before you take off, okay?”

“Sure, Ronnie.” 

“Great. Thanks, Doc.” Ronnie replied.

Ian smiled and waved as he left the building.

Fucking shit. Ian thought. This won’t be awkward at all. They would definitely need to talk before they left and he was not looking forward to this shit.

*****

When Ronnie called Mandy to let her know that her brother and Ian would have to travel together, she felt giddy. She knew Mickey would be shitting his pants and Ian would be dreading it, but she happened to think it was the best thing for the two idiots; so much so, that she figured she would have a little fun.

She was going to set them up in a nicer hotel than they usually would stay at, but there would be a special, little titty twister for her asshole brother to have to suffer through.

She booked them at the Hilton in Ocala, because it was the nicest hotel in the area, and got them an executive suite with one king bed. And because she wasn’t a complete asshole, she made sure it had a comfy couch as well, because there was no doubt one of them would be sleeping on it. She was kind of a bitch but not a total bitch.

She made sure to get them seats next to each other on the plane, too. Both ways. 

*****

Both men had been so busy they hadn’t had time to speak before the meeting with Ronnie. They managed to get through that with the help of the other man being a distraction, so they didn’t really have to speak to one another. 

“Alright, guys. Best get a move on to catch that plane.” Ronnie said at the end of the meeting and both men agreed and grabbed their duffle bags. 

Ronnie exited the room leaving the two men alone for the first time together.

“Ian, look. I’m really sorry about what I said. That was a dick move and I apologize.” Mickey offered.

“Are you sorry because you’re really sorry or sorry that I heard, Mickey?” Ian questioned.

“I had a really shitty day and I shouldn’t have said it at all. It’s really a nice car, man. I can be a real dick sometimes.” Mickey responded.

“Yeah, I noticed.” Ian said but rather than frowning he had a big goofy smile on his face and he could visibly see Mickey relax.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Let’s get going. Don’t wanna miss that flight.” Mickey replied.

When the men got outside, Ian looked at Mickey with a cocked eyebrow and smirk, and asked who was driving.

“I’ll drive for fucks sake.” Mickey replied.

Ian just laughed as they headed toward the black Ford.

Once they made their way to the main road Ian started looking around the vehicle. 

“Damn, Mickey. This is one hell of a nice truck. What’s this? The Super Duty F-450 Limited? Looks like she’s fully loaded, too.” Ian said with an impressed smile.

“Yeah, man. Love this fucking truck. I can haul all kinda shit and she’s a looker. A lot of power in this truck.” Mickey said, as he hit the gas for Ian to feel the pick up.

“Damn, what did this run ya? These babies start at almost 90 grand, don’t they?” Ian questioned.

“Yeah, but I had all the bells and whistles added. I paid cash so I actually got a pretty good deal. It was $105,000 but I got it for $92,000.” He said proudly.

“Wow. That is amazing. Shit, I didn’t even pay that for my car. Matter of fact, got mine pre-owned for $80,000. Interesting.” Ian smiled, then faced forward waiting to hear Mickey’s response.

“Fuck. You set me up, didn’t you?” Mickey asked.

“Nah, man. Really do like the truck. Matter of fact, I looked at this exact model, but I got a raft of shit from the Senator so he steered me towards the Bently, pardon the pun.” Ian responded.

“Man, I’m really fucking sorry for assuming. I feel like a dick.” Mickey replied.

“Well, as long as you know.” Ian smiled. “Nah, it’s cool. Happens a lot. People assume I’m an asshole by association.” 

“Well, they’re wrong. I was wrong. You seem pretty cool to me.” 

“Thanks, Mick.” 

Mickey didn’t know why, but hearing Ian call him Mick did things to him that he hadn’t felt towards a man in, well, forever. He glanced at his arms and could visibly see the goosebumps.

Mickey glanced over at Ian who glanced back and smiled a stupid, goofy grin.

Mickey was fucked.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised a longer chapter this time and I am so disappointed in myself. I promise that I will make it up to you!!


	4. Miss Kitty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go on their first business trip together and things go well. Both of them crushing on each other but Terry is the ever present obstacle. Mandy asks Uncle Ronnie for some advice. 
> 
> This chapter is more than double the length of previous chapters so I hope this works because this will likely be the standard going forward. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! xo

*****

Both men boarded the aircraft and were seated side by side. The plane had two seats on the right and three on the left so Mickey was pretty stoked they were on the right on account of people and not caring much for them. Mickey had the window seat and Ian the aisle. Mickey offered the window but Ian was happy with the aisle so he could move around freely without interrupting Mickey.

The plane taxied down the runway waiting for take off. Ian noticed Mickey looking a little miserable.

“Hey, man. You okay?” Ian inquired.

“Yeah, just not my favorite thing to do. Hate being in this tin can for more than an hour.” Mickey said.

“Oh. So you don’t like to be on a plane for more than an hour. What? Would you rather drive?” Ian questioned.

“Fuck, no. It’s just the seats are uncomfortable and there’s always a fucking wait to get off the ground, and don’t let me get started on the turbulance.” Mickey responded.

“Wow. You had to sit on the runway and wait? You should sue them.” Ian teased in a dead ass serious voice.

“It’s fucking annoying. Like who wants to sit there and fucking wait for the plane to take off?” Mickey spat back.

“That is terrible. So what happened after your wait? Did you fly through the air, like a bird? Incredibly? Did you soar through the clouds? Impossibly? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight?” Ian kept on. “And then land softly on giant tires that you couldn’t even conceive how they fucking put air in them? How dare they!”

“Fuck off, man. Then you have to pay for your food.” Mickey kept complaining.

“YOU’RE FLYING!” Ian said louder than he meant to. “You’re sitting in a chair, IN THE SKY! You’re like a Greek Myth right now!”

“But it doesn’t go back very far. Squishing my knees.” Mickey replied.

“The Wright brothers would kick you in the cock right now if they heard you.” Ian shook his head.

“Alright, alright. I get it.” Mickey now laughed. “You’re such a dick.”

Ian just smiled widely at Mickey who couldn’t help but give him a toothy grin back.

Yep. Mickey was totally fucked.

*****

Once the plane landed, the men deplaned and headed out to get their rental. Mickey was getting ready to complain but Ian raised an eyebrow and he quickly stopped himself.

“Good boy.” Ian told him, and Mickey got a chill straight up his spine at that comment.

“So how far is this place? Ian inquired.

“The farm is about thirty minutes and the hotel about twenty. It’s a pretty nice place. Has a bar and a couple of restaurants. Rooms are pretty nice. Honestly, it is like the nicest hotel in the town.” Mickey told him.

“Cool. I’m starving.” Ian told him.

“Yeah, man. Me, too. I could definitely eat.” Mickey replied.

The two drove the rest of the way to the hotel in comfortable silence with Ian taking in the scenery.

Ian noted that the hotel looked nice from the outside. Mickey pulled into a spot and they both grabbed their shit and headed into the lobby to check in. The lobby was beautiful, with really cool art behind the check-in counter and an amazing fixture in the center, with glass suspended under a light making its way down to another light that reminded him of a fire pit.

Mickey had the corporate card and was paying for their expenses since Ian’s had not yet arrived. Ian stood next to Mickey as the pretty blonde at the counter asked for his name, ID, and payment method.

“Mickey Milkovich and Ian Gallagher. I’ll be paying for both rooms.” Mickey said as he handed her the requested items.

“Of course, sir. Let me just locate the reservations.” She smiled happily at him before typing away on her keyboard.

After a couple minutes of furiously pounding away at the keyboard, the young girl looked up with concern on her face. “I’m so sorry, sir. We only have one room reserved for you both. I would have been happy to give you another, however, we are fully booked. There is a music, food, and wine festival in town and it’s a very popular event.” She told him.

“Are you sure? My sister made the reservations. She would have told me if there was only one room.” He questioned.

“I’m positive. I see your reservation here and only one room was requested.” She replied. “But sir, the room has a king-size bed and a very large, comfortable couch. Not the typical hotel couch, it is very cozy.” She promised.

“Mick, I can take the couch. It’s not a problem, really.” Ian offered.

“Okay. We’ll take it.” Mickey replied, annoyed, but not really.

“Here are the room keys. I gave you two. I also gave you vouchers for dinner and two drinks at our outdoor restaurant. I am terribly sorry.” She told him.

“No, it’s fine. Not your fault at all. We really appreciate the vouchers.” Ian told her while Mickey just smiled.

The men made their way to the elevator and rode to the top floor in silence. When the elevator dinged, Ian followed Mickey awkwardly down the hall to their room. When Mickey opened the door, he looked pleasantly surprised and Ian was as well. The room was very nice.

It was painted white, with a large white tufted headboard and bedding accented with an aqua throw. At the end of the bed was a cabinet with dark wood and white leather, that hid a TV and could be accessed with a remote. There were gray curtains and a white couch with aqua pillows and a gorgeous aqua accent chair. The coffee table was round and made of glass and metal. The view was beautiful. The bathroom was very nice with granite countertops and an enormous walk in shower.

“Wow. This is beautiful. Great view, too.” Ian said.

“Yeah, we normally stay in a single. This room is definitely an upgrade.” Mickey replied, as he sat his bag down on the bed.

Ian went over to the couch and dropped his bag on the floor. “Couch is very comfortable. Won’t be a problem sleeping here at all.” He told Mickey.

“You really don’t have to sleep on the couch, man. Seriously, the bed is big enough for both of us.” Mickey told him.

“Either way is fine, Mick. How about grabbing some grub?” Ian suggested.

“Fuck, yes. Let’s go.” He agreed.

The weather was beautiful, so sitting outside was absolutely perfect. They each got the burger and Mickey got a beer, while Ian opted for a mojito. Mickey shot him a look but kept his mouth shut.

“So, what’s it like being the son of our Senator?” Mickey questioned, but noticed Ian visibly flinch.

“It’s cool, man. If you don’t want to talk about it, not a problem. Sorry if I overstepped.” Mickey said quickly.

“No. It’s just not what you would think. I was adopted and my adopted “parents” were not really the kid type of people. Not nurturing at all. They hired a nanny to raise me. As far as I’m concerned, she’s my mother.” He told him while Mickey just watched him thoughtfully.

“Fuck. I’m sorry, Ian.” Mickey replied sweetly.

“It’s okay, Mick. Coulda been much worse.” He smiled as he took a bite of his burger.

“My father is a total fucking asshole and has been all my life. I think of my Uncle Ronnie as more of a father to me than that piece of shit.” Mickey told him, and wasn’t sure why he did, since this was information he normally kept tucked away.

“Shit. I’m sorry Mick. Doesn’t seem like he’s around much.” Ian questioned.

“No, and that is not by coincidence. We try to keep him on the road as much as possible. Things run so much smoother that way.” Mickey said as he picked up his beer to down the rest.

“So, are you married or have a girlfriend?” Ian inquired, and would never admit he was hoping for the answer to both of those options to be fuck no.

“Uh, no. Not married. No significant other. How about you?” Mickey asked.

“Uh, no. Not married and no significant other either.” He replied.

They finished their dinner and made their way to the bar. Mickey ordered another beer and Ian another mojito. They talked about their day tomorrow, then the subject moved to growing up on a farm, to growing up in a house with two stuck up parents. Ian told Mickey how he got into horses, and Mickey told him how he got into training them. The conversation flowed easily, as well as the beverages.

“Mick? Wanna go swimming?” Ian suggested, feeling quite tipsy after the two Jack shots that he and Mickey just finished.

“Didn’t bring a suit. Is the pool even open now?” Mickey asked, as he leaned over to look out of the window and almost fell on the floor.

“Mick. You almost fell! You’re drunk!” Ian laughed.

“M’not. You are.” Mickey smiled.

“So? Wanna go? M’hot. Aren’t you hot? Well, I mean, you’re “hot”, but are you “hot” hot?” Ian questioned.

“You think m’hot?” Mickey replied.

“Fuck yeah. You got an ass that won’t quit. Stand up.” Ian ordered, and Mickey drunkenly complied.

“Excuse me. Ma’am. Can you come over here for a minute?” Ian hollered across the bar to one of the ladies having a drink with her friend.

She shot him a look but complied. “Hi.” was all she got out.

“M’Ian and this is Mickey. Now let me ask you someth’n. What do you think of his ass?” Ian questioned, as he bent over to really take it in. Mickey just turned around and looked over his shoulder like it was a perfectly normal question.

“Well, yeah. It is pretty good.” She replied.

“PRETTY GOOD? Look again. You’re not seeing right. His ass is perfect. I could just bite it.” He told her.

“Honey, I think you may want to switch to water. But yes, his ass is lovely.” She said, as she walked away.

The bartender walked over and responded to Ian’s query without being asked. “I’d hit that.”

“RIGHT!!! See!! She’d hit that!” Ian hollered over to the girl across the bar and she just laughed and nodded.

“S’a nice ass, Mick.” Ian said, and Mickey just shook his head in agreement as he sat back down.

“Yours ain’t so bad either.” Mickey replied.

“I have other assets that are much better than my ass. You have the best ass I have ever seen.” Ian replied, then downed the rest of his beer.

“That right? What exactly are we talking ‘bout here?” Mickey smirked, while raising an eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Ian replied, as he drunkenly bopped Mickey on the nose with his pointer finger.

“Ohhh, wanna swim?” Mickey asked.

“Yeah!! That’s a great idea!” Ian laughed ,as Mickey signaled for the check.

Once the bill was paid, both men held each other up while walking to the elevator. Once they were in, they both leaned back, using the wall to hold them up.

“You really think I got a nice ass?” Mickey asked.

“You do. Best ass, Mick.” Ian replied, as he nodded.

“S’nice. Thanks, Ian.” Mickey smiled.

They had to hold each other up on the walk to their room. Once Mickey managed to open the door, they fell into their room laughing.

“What do you want to do?” Ian asked.

“Thought we were swimming?” Mickey replied, as he quirked an eyebrow.

“I’m hungry. Want something sweet!” Ian said, as he walked over and picked up the room service menu.

“I got something sweet for you right here.” Mickey laughed, as he pulled off his shirt, leaving him standing there in his boxers.

“Bet you do.” Ian chuckled. “Is it chocolate though? Cause I want some chocolate. Ohhhh, they have a seven layer chocolate cake with fudge icing!” Ian swooned.

“What else they got?” Mickey asked, as he plopped down on the bed with the TV remote in his hand.

“Cheesecake with raspberry swirl, deep fried bread pudding with bananas, key lime pie, Snickers pie..”

“I want that! I want two of that!” Mickey said excitedly. “And milk!”

“Mmmm. Milk. I want milk too.” Ian said, as he picked up the phone.

“Hello. I’m Ian in room 8008. I’d like to order something for me and Mickey.” He told the poor sap who happened to answer the phone.

“Snickers pie. Two of them. Chocolate cake. And milk. Lots of milk.” Ian requested.

Once the order was in, he looked over at Mickey who was befuddled by the TV remote.

“This fucking TV won’t come up. I pushed every button.” Mickey complained.

“Hold on a minute.” Ian told him, as he picked up the phone again and dialed a number.

“Hi. S’me again. Mickey can’t get the TV to come up. You know how to get it up?” Ian said, while Mickey started laughing like a loon.

“Get it up. I know how to get it up!” Mickey barked out loudly.

“Shut up. No! Not you! Mickey. He said he knows how to get it up. NO! The TV. Never mind. You know how? K. Thanks. See you soon!” Ian said, then hung up the phone.

Mickey looked over on his nightstand and found another remote and hit the open button and voila...the TV started to rise.

Both men reacted like they just proved string theory. They sat and watched the Bachelor until they heard a knock on the door.

“Cabs are here!” Mickey hollered.

Ian giggled, then jumped up and stumbled over to the door.

“Hi! You’re here!” Ian said.

The room service attendant smiled awkwardly as he rolled in the cart and handed Ian the bill.

Ian signed and thanked the man, who quickly let himself out of the room.

Ian piled all of their shit up on the bed in front of them and handed Mickey his glass of milk as he sat his own on the nightstand.

“So fucking good.” Mickey moaned, while savoring his first bite of his Snickers pie.

Ian shuddered at the sound and suddenly wanted to hear more.

“Wanna bite?” Mickey asked, and Ian just shook his head yes.

Mickey put a bite on the fork and held it out to Ian, who opened his mouth, accepting the fork, then closed his mouth around it, pulling back slowly, never breaking eye contact.

“So good.” He replied.

“Do you want to try mine?” Ian questioned.

“Fuck yeah, I do.” Mickey responded.

Ian cut Mickey a piece of cake and put it on his fork. He held it out for Mickey to try.

“Mmmm. Tastes so fucking delicous.” Mickey said, as he raised his eyebrows and smirked seductively.

“Fuck, Mick.” Ian responded. “So hot.”

“You ain’t bad yourself, Gingy.” He replied

“Gingy? Like in Shrek?” Ian asked.

“Yep!” Mickey said while popping the “p”.

“I like it, Lord Farquaad.” He grinned, while stuffing more cake into his mouth.

“The fuck!?”

“Just kidding. You can be Prince Charming.”

“S’better.”

Mickey had finished both pieces of his pie, but noticed Ian was still busy with his cake. “I gotta shower. Be right back.” Mickey said, while getting up and making his way across the room.

“Need any help?” Ian yelled.

“I got it.” Mickey said, as he grabbed his toiletry bag, and added, “This time.”

Ian finally finished his cake, then stripped off his clothes save for his boxers. He turned off the lights and got under the covers. He was getting nervous about Mickey, unsure of what was going to happen when he got out of the shower. He wanted him, of course; but Mickey was pretty much his fucking boss.

He laid back to think through the scenarios while Mickey showered.

When Mickey came back into the room wearing only a towel, he saw Ian sleeping soundly. The food and the shower had sobered him up a bit and he figured it was probably for the best.

He climbed in next to Ian and turned off the light on his side of the bed, but kept the TV on. He sat watching Ian sleep, while admiring his features. He was beautiful; and Mickey was happy to find out that he was also sweet and funny. He was smart, too. He liked him. But he didn’t want Ian to get caught up in his bullshit with his father, who would literally murder him if he found out he was gay. That fucker really did ruin everything for Mickey.

In his sleep, Ian kicked the covers off of his leg, revealing his hip bone and a patch of red hair. Mickey could make out the shape of his cock and it looked ample. Fuck, if he just pulled the cover a little bit more he would be able to confirm but he wasn’t a fucking pervert.

So, if he rolled over and just happened to pull some covers with him, that would be okay, right? Mickey rolled over and back and Ian’s cock was in full view. Even flacid, it was a fucking work of art. Mickey couldn’t help but stare and he couldn’t help it when his mouth started watering either.

He bounced a little in the bed to see if Ian was sound asleep and he didn’t move or make a sound so Mickey was satisfied. He reached over to his nightstand where he put his toiletry bag after his shower and reached in to grab a small bottle of lube. He popped the cap trying to make as little noise as possible.

Once he put it back, he pulled the sheets over to the side, allowing his semi hard cock to be freed. He kept his eyes on Ian.

He reached down and ran his hand over his cock to get it wet with lube. He started stroking himself slowly, admiring Ian’s thick cock and imagining what it would feel like slipping into his wet hole. He dropped his hand down and ran his finger down his crack to his asshole, which was very tight from lack of dick. He rubbed it gently until he relaxed, then inserted one finger and moaned louder than he meant to, but it just felt so fucking good.

He fingered himself until his muscles relaxed, then added another. He began to stroke himself with his other hand while he gently rubbed over his prostate, causing himself to shudder.

He wanted nothing more than to stroke Ian to full hardness and ride that cock like a fucking cowboy, but this would have to do for now.

Ian stirred, and Mickey stopped dead without removing his hands. He waited a minute then resumed his ministrations on himself.

He kept rubbing against his prostate while he swirled his thumb through the precum dripping from his now very red tip. He was so fucking turned on.

As he started to get closer, he kept his eyes on that perfect cock. He noticed Ian’s cock hardening and his eyes shot to Ian’s face. He had also started to moan in his sleep then reached down to run his hand over his cock.

It was so fucking hot and Ian was getting even harder. Mickey whispered Ian’s name to see if he was actually sleeping and he replied with a breathy “Mick, wanna fuck you so bad. Want to own that ass.”

Mickey started stroking himself along with Ian’s pace and it was bringing him to the edge really fucking quick. The mention of his name made him want to kiss Ian awake from his dream and fuck him into the mattress.

Mickey was in awe of Ian’s cock at full hardness. It was fucking huge and thick, now with the tip leaking. He wanted nothing more than to lick the droplets off and get a taste of Ian.

Mickey put firm pressure on his prostate and started stroking his cock feverishly.

“Fuck, Ian. Want your cock in my ass. Want you to wreck me.” Mickey moaned.

He could tell Ian was getting close, too. “Mmmm. so fucking good, Mick. Such a tight little asshole. Wanna eat your ass out next time.”

And with those words Mickey came hard. He continued to watch Ian jerk himself off in his sleep; Mickey’s eyes traveling from his cock, up his body and to his face. His eyes were now squeezed tight and Ian had started to pant. It was the hottest thing Mickey had ever seen.

“Gonna cum in this ass, Mick. You want it? Want me to fill you up?” Ian kept up.

Mickey groaned at that question and responded quietly, “Fuck, yes. Fill me up, Ian.”

Ian came hard with a loud moan and it was the fucking sexiest thing Mickey had ever heard in his entire fucking life.

Once he caught his breath, Ian rolled over to face Mickey then started to snore softly. Ian was still uncovered and his cum was leaking down his stomach and onto the sheets.

Mickey couldn’t fucking resist. He softly swiped his finger up Ian’s stomach to gather some cum, then brought it to his mouth. He stuck his finger in and sucked the sweet liquid and had to fight himself to not dive headfirst into the rest.

He turned and faced Ian and watched him sleep until he, himself, fell into the most peaceful sleep he’d had in ages.

*****

Ian woke up to Mickey’s loud snoring and it took him a minute to realize were he was and why he was sticky. He looked down in horror to realize he was covered in dried cum. He suddenly remembered the dream and how real it felt.

Ian slowly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to clean himself up. He was fucking mortified. Once he was cleaned up, he put his boxers back on and crawled gently back into bed. He couldn’t help but stare at Mickey and admire how beautiful he was and how peaceful he looked.

He was crushing hard on this guy and apparently had a wet fucking dream in the same bed with him and he wanted to fucking die. He was dreading the morning, knowing he’d feel awkward until he figured out if Mickey knew what had happened. He finally fell back to sleep.

Mickey woke up first, to sun shining in his eyes. He stretched and yawned and looked over to Ian who was starting to stir as well. The events of last night came rushing back and he was suddenly nervous for Ian to wake up.

He sat up facing the window while he felt Ian sit up too.

“Good morning, Mick. You sleep okay?” Ian said softly.

“Morning, Gingy. Slept like a rock. How about you? Mickey responded.

“Good. Me, too. Have a fucking headache. How much did we drink?” Ian asked.

“A fucking lot. I have some Tylenol. Want some?” Mickey replied, as he pulled his toiletry bag back into his lap and fished around for the bottle.

“Yes, please.”

Mickey grabbed the pills and handed three to Ian then took three himself, grabbing the complimentary water bottle off of the nightstand and taking a swig. Ian did the same.

They showered and got ready in relative silence before heading down for breakfast, which was strictly business. Mickey explained how this typically went and what to do and what not to do and say.

Once they arrived at the farm, Mickey and Ian pulled up to the main office to meet the broker. Mickey had dealt with most of them but this name was new. He and Ian walked in and Mickey was greeted by the regulars. He introduced Ian while they waited for the new agent to arrive.

The agent arrived and both men shot each other a look and tried not to gawk. Now, Ian was an ass-man and Mickey was a cock-man, but they couldn’t help but marvel at the size of this woman’s breasts. They were at least twice the size of Anna Nicole Smith’s.

Mickey cleared his throat and Ian snapped his eyes back up to her face. She just gave him a flirty smile and introduced herself.

Mickey had to fight the laugh rising in his chest at the look of panic on Ian’s face.

Mickey quickly recovered and introduced himself with Ian following suit.

“It’s so nice to meet you both. I’m Kitty.” She said happily.

“So, how do you know my Uncle Ronnie?” Mickey inquired.

“Oh, we go way back.” She smirked devilishly.

“I bet they do.” Ian said under his breath and Mickey gave him the death glare.

“So, are you both ready to take a look at these beauties?” She asked, and Ian started to cough.

“Yes, we would love to see the horses.” Mickey said, stressing the word “horses”.

Kitty brought them to see the horses and left Mickey and Ian to perform their inspections. After they were done, the men decided that they would make an offer.

Once the paperwork was complete, the men said their goodbyes to Kitty and got ready to head back to the hotel. They didn’t expect to wrap up so early so they decided to take advantage of the extra day they would have to enjoy Ocala.

“Fuck, Mick. The size of her tits. I have never seen anything like that in person. Or on a person. That is some fucking Anime shit right there.” He said.

“You should have seen your face, man. It was fucking priceless.” Mickey laughed.

“She should change her name from Kitty to Titty.” Ian replied.

“I don’t know, Ian. She might have a nice kitty, too.” Mickey shot back.

“Ugh. Oh, God. I don’t even want to think about it.” He said overdramatically.

“Don’t like the kitty or titty, huh?” Mickey asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer to that question.

“No kitty or titty for me. I’ll pass. I’m a burrito man. No taco for me.” He told him.

“Yeah, same here. Burrito all the way.” Mickey replied, now confirming that both men were gay.

When they got back to the hotel, Ian picked up some brochures so they could figure out how they wanted to spend their free day. “Look at this place, Mick! It looks incredible.” Ian said excitedly, while handing Mickey the brochure for Alexander Springs.

“Get out! This water looks like the islands. Yeah, let’s hit this.” Mickey agreed.

“Something else I wanna hit.” Ian said under his breath, as he made his way to the elevator while also admiring Mickey’s ass.

“I don’t have any swim trunks.” Ian said, when they got on the elevator.

“Yeah, me either. We can hit up Walmart and just grab something that will serve the purpose for today.” He replied.

“Sounds good. We can use towels from here, right?” Ian asked.

“Yeah. I can empty my bag and throw some shit in there. We can grab some beers, too.” Mickey replied.

*****

This place is fucking amazing! Christ, look how clear the water is here. It is like the islands… and the temperature!” Ian said excitedly.

“Says it stays a constant 72 degrees all year.” Mickey replied.

“Where is everyone? There are like four people here.” Ian questioned.

“I guess everyone is at that festival.”

“Good. More for us.” Ian grinned.

Mickey was having a great time. He loved seeing Ian excited. He thought he was adorable. Even shopping with him was enjoyable. He felt oddly domestic and he felt at peace. He truly wished that he could pursue the relationship but that would just get them both killed; but he couldn’t help the way he felt.

Ian was splashing around and diving down to see the sights. They had also picked up a couple of cheap snorkel masks and it was so worth it to see the smile on his face. Mickey sighed and swam over to Ian to join him.

“I’m having a really good time, Mick.” Ian said, as they rested on the beach area.

“Good. I am too, Ian. Really good.” He smiled back.

“Mick? What would have happened last night if I didn’t fall asleep?” Ian asked him.

Mickey sighed heavily. “I was thinking about that, too. Listen Ian. I like you. Like, really like you. Unfortunately, this is just something that can’t happen and it isn’t because I don’t want it to, okay? First off, we work together and if things go south I don’t want it to be awkward between us. But most importantly, I am not allowed to be gay, Ian. I will never be out. My father would literally kill me; and I’m not speaking figuratively here. I mean, he would LITERALLY kill me. And then, he would kill you if he found out if we were seeing each other. I wouldn’t do that to you, so this here, it can never be.”

Ian reluctantly shook his head in agreement and stared out into the water, his heart sinking.

“I’m sorry, Ian. Can we at least be friends?” Mickey asked.

“Course we can, Mick.” Ian smiled weakly, then returned his gaze to the water.

They sat there in silence looking at the beautiful scenery, both missing something that they never even had the chance to have.

*****

“You are the biggest, sneakiest bitch in the history of bitches.” Mickey said, as he entered his sister’s office.

“Whatever are you talking about Mikhailo?” Mandy smirked.

“You did that shit on purpose, didn’t you?” He questioned.

“You two needed some quality time together. So how was it?” She questioned.

“Well, we fucking got it, that’s for sure.” He replied.

“Wait. What does that mean? Is he...you know? Gay?” She whispered, though nobody else was in the office.

“It’s not a bad word, Mandy. And yes, he’s fucking gay.” Mickey told her.

“Holy shit, Mick. I had no idea. What happened?” She questioned.

“We had a great fucking time is what happened. He is everything I would ever want in a partner. He’s funny as hell, smart, and we obviously have the same interests. You’ve seen him so I don’t need to tell you how fucking hot he is, and fuck… Mandy, he is so cute. Like, adorable cute and I swear on Mom’s grave if you ever repeat what I just said, I’ll throw you in the well and fill it up with cement.” He threatened.

“Awe, Mick. No, it’s really sweet. There’s nothing wrong with saying that or thinking that either. I think it’s nice.” She said.

“Yeah, well, I told him that we can’t ever happen.” He sighed as he rubbed his eyes.

“Why would you do that, Mick? You never date. Everyone is just a quick fuck. Why not go for it?” She asked.

“What fucking world do you live in, Mandy? Dad would fucking kill Ian and make me watch, and then kill me. It cannot happen. It can’t ever happen unless that motherfucker is six feet under.” He spat at her.

“Fuck Dad! He isn’t around that often, Mick. And you can hide it when he is here.” She replied.

“And bingo. That right there is why I wouldn’t do it, because I would never want to hide it from anyone. I wouldn’t ever want to ask him to hide it either. It’s not fucking right.” He told her.

“Fuck, Mick. I’m so sorry.” She told her brother sadly.

“It is what it is, Mandy. Anyway, don’t do that shit again. It’s too fucking tempting, okay?”

“Yeah, of course. I won’t do that again. I promise.” She assured him.

“Gotta get to work. Talk to you later.” He said sadly, as he walked out of her office.

Mandy’s fucking heart broke for her brother. She hated her father and that he’s the one keeping her brother from being happy. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Mickey.

Mandy picked up her phone, dialed quickly and waited.

“Hi, Uncle Ronnie.”

“Hi Mands. What’s up?” Her uncle asked.

“Are you free tonight? Maybe head up to Earls’ and grab something to eat and have a couple beers.” She questioned.

“Sure, sweetheart. Everything alright?”

“Yeah, just need some advice is all.”

“Of course. I’ll pick you up at the office at 6.”

“Thanks, Uncle Ronnie.”

“Looking forward to it, honey. See ya soon.” He replied, then Mandy hung up the phone.

She couldn’t even think about work right now, her mind was too tied up with her brother’s dilemma. She would fucking kill Terry herself if she thought she could get away with it.

*****

Once their order was in and cold beer was on the table, Mandy started telling her uncle about Mickey.

“It’s just not fair. He shouldn’t have to hide who he is just because our father is a fucking homophobic prick.” She said.

“You’re right, Mandy. He shouldn’t have to hide. Your father is a grade A asshole and I wish that Mickey didn’t have to hide that part of his life. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for him. I’ve thought about it before and it really upsets me. I wish there was something I could do. I try to keep Terry away from you both as much as possible. I’m just not sure what else there is, sweetie.” Ronnie replied.

“I know. But there has to be something. I just wish you were our dad. Everything would be so much better.” She told him for the millionth time.

“I wish I was too, sweetheart. I really do.” He replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The flight dialogue in the beginning is actually from a Louis CK Show way back. It is one of my faves and has always put flying into perspective to me. 
> 
> I live about two and a half hours from Ocala and am dying to check out that spring. My stylist just went and told me about it so shout out to my baby boo Sher. 
> 
> Constructive criticism, comments, and kudos are appreciated. They really do help inspire the writing and delivery of the next chapter for writers. Positive reinforcement at all. 
> 
> To those who have made comments and left kudos, you are the reason I write and thank you so much! You are angels and I adore you!


	5. Bucking Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry is in town and all hell breaks loose.

Ian never opened up to anyone like he had with Mickey. They hit it off so well and he had enjoyed their trip together immensely. Ian felt like he could talk to him without worry of judgment. They had worked through their first run in and Ian actually made a joke out of it which seemed to suit Mickey and his personality. Just as Ian had thought, Mickey had been able to laugh it off.

Yes. Mickey was stunningly beautiful, with an ass that could start a war and eyes as blue as the sky over a tropical sea. And Ian liked him. Like really liked him. He had never had that connection with anyone so immediate in like, well… forever.

Let’s not forget the most crucial detail. Mickey was gay and interested. He felt the same connection that Ian felt and they could have had something, if not for Mickey’s notoriously hard ass father. Ian couldn’t help but feel like it would have been something special and that he had been robbed of the opportunity to find out.

He had heard stories about Terry Milkovich but when he interviewed with Ronnie and Mickey, the fear of taking the job subsided. Ian decided he hated him already, sight unseen, and was glad that Terry being on the property was a rare occurrence.

Ian was hoping that things between he and Mickey would not be awkward. He wanted to be able to still be friends with the man. Ian never really had any friends his age. Well, friends with any real substance. Ian may have grown up in the comfort of a wealthy family but he never forgot where he came from, and felt that his humble beginnings suited him better anyway. Maria was the same as Ian. They didn’t have a silver spoon stuck up their asses and didn’t have a pretentious bone in their bodies. Ian felt Mickey was cut from the same cloth.

Ian tossed and turned all night and now it was Monday morning and he had to face Mickey. He had a fucked up combination of excitement and dread going on in his stomach. He pulled into his spot in front of his office and sighed before taking a sip of coffee and opening his door. He was the first one to arrive, which probably had something to do with it being only 7am.

He unlocked his office and started going through his email when he heard the door open and close, assuming it was on of the techs.

“Good morning. You’re here early.” Mickey said, eliciting an audible hitch of breath from Ian.

Fuck. He was not prepared for this at all.

Ian turned around and painted a smile on his face to cover the look of worry.

“Good morning, Mick. Yeah, I was up and couldn’t go back to sleep so I figured I would come catch up on any emails I might have missed from being out of the office.” He replied.

“I’m normally the only one here at this time. Nice to have some company.” He replied.

“When will the new horses be here?” Ian asked.

“They should be here by either tomorrow or Wednesday. Terry should be back today and plans to be here all week. Thought you should know.” Mickey said, before taking a sip from his own coffee then looking down at the floor.

“Oh. Okay. Thanks for the heads up.” Ian responded.

They sat in awkward silence for a minute before Mickey broke it. “Ian, listen. I wish things could be different between us. I really do. Haven’t been able to get you out of my head, man. But while Terry is still above ground, it just can’t happen. I was hoping, however, that we could be friends. I don’t have many that I actually enjoy hanging out with like I did with you. If it’s too weird, it’s okay. I just thought…”

“Yes. Yes, Mick. I would really like that a lot. I was thinking the same thing. We can be friends.” Ian said, while sighing in relief that he and Mickey were on the same page.

“Great. Okay, then. Mandy and I go to Earl’s on Monday nights for their special. The burgers are half off and they have a wing buffet. If you don’t have anything going on, you’re welcome to join us.” Mickey asked, hoping that Ian would say yes.

“Yeah. That sounds great. Definitely.” Ian replied happily.

“Great. Mandy and I will swing by and grab you at 5:30.” Mickey promised.

“Looking forward to it.”

“Me too, Ian.” Mickey said, holding eye contact a little too long for “just friends” before turning around and leaving the office.

*****

Ian was pretty fucking happy when it was time to leave and he hadn’t heard a peep from Terry. He had a dreaded feeling he would stop by today and it was too soon for him to be able to mask the need punch him dead in the mouth.

Ian was leaning against his car when he saw Mickey’s truck kicking up dirt from the path.

“Wanna ride with us? Only about five minutes down the road. Can drop you back off here when we’re done.” Mickey questioned.

“Yeah, sure.” Ian said, as he hopped up to get in the back seat with Mandy sitting up front.

“Hi Mandy.” Ian greeted.

“Hey Ian. Glad you could join us tonight. Heard you guys had a great trip.” She said, instantly regretting her choice of words.

Ian and Mickey both tensed up and Mandy had to try to save it. “Super excited about the horses. They’ll be a great addition.” She said, hoping that would relieve some of the tension.

“Oh, yeah. They’re beauties. I think they’re going to be too.” Ian smiled.

“With Mickey training them, I’m sure they will.” She said.

“You buttering me up to buy you dinner? Huh?” Mickey smirked.

“No. I mean it, Mick. Best in the business.” She said.

“Well, I appreciate it but that is far from the fucking truth.” Mickey told her.

Mickey pulled into the parking lot and was happy to see that it wasn’t crowded yet and they might be able to get a table rather than have to sit at the bar. He wanted a clear view of Ian. He shouldn’t, but he did.

Once seated, they ordered some beers and hit up the wing buffet and Ian couldn’t disagree, the shit was bomb.

“So Ian, tell me about yourself.” Mandy said, as she took a bite from another wing and got a facefull of sauce at the same time, not seeming to care at all.

Ian hated this question. It wasn’t a simple answer. People wanted to know about “where you were born”, “do you have siblings”, “what was it like growing up having a father as the senator”. Ian despised these questions and they made him want to crawl up in a ball and shut down.

He took a deep breath and responded. “Well, I’m from Chicago. Moved to Indiana when I was four.” He started.

“No shit! Terry’s from Chicago, too. Probably not the same place you’re from though.” She laughed.

“I’m from Canaryville.” He said. He didn’t like that people presumed he was some rich ass kid who didn’t know what life was outside of his adopted world.

Mickey and Mandy both looked at each other in shock then back to Ian. “No shit! So is he!”

“Small world.” Ian said, then hoped the subject would change.

“So the senator comes from Canaryville?” She asked.

“Uh, no. Not quite. My biological family is in Canaryville. I was adopted.” He replied.

“Oh. Sorry.” Mandy replied, like she said something wrong.

“Don’t be. I’m not.” Ian told her; all the while Mickey was just sitting back and listening. It didn’t feel right to him to jump into the conversation. It was obvious it was a subject that was making Ian uncomfortable.

“Looks like our burgers are ready.” Mickey said, looking over at the waitress and wanting to personally thank her for her perfect timing.

“These look great.” Ian said, thankful for the interruption.

When they were finished, Mandy excused herself to say hi to a friend sitting at the bar.

“Hey, I’m sorry if Mandy made you uncomfortable.” Mickey apologized.

“No. It’s just a subject that is hard to address. Most of the time I just go along with being the son of a Senator; especially when I’m around that whole crowd. Sometimes I just want to tell the truth. I’m a kid from the South Side. I might have been young but it doesn’t mean I don’t remember. I remember enough.” Ian replied, again not sure why Mickey just brought this side out of him, willing to bear his soul.

“I get it. Fuck. I wish I was adopted. I’m actually blood related to that piece of shit.” Mickey responded.

“Well, you turned out pretty good if you ask me.” Ian blushed.

“You did too, Ian. Now I feel like even more of an asshole saying that about you and your car. Shit. I’m really fucking sorry.” Mickey said earnestly.

“It’s okay. It happens. But now you know.” Ian smiled.

“I do. I’m glad I know. You know you can talk to me about anything, Ian. I’m a vault.” Mickey told him.

“Thanks, Mick. Same for you. Friends, remember?” He replied.

“Yeah. Friends.” Mickey said, smiling sadly.

Mickey wanted so much more with the man across the table. Each time they spoke another layer was peeled back and he ended up liking the guy even more. He hoped he was making the right decision by being friends with Ian. He had already developed feelings and he just knew they would continue to deepen with them working in such close proximity. But conversely, he could not imagine Ian not being a part of his life now that he knows him.

Mickey felt like he had battled his way through hell and was almost at the finish line, but Terry was the final opponent and it would not end well to go toe to toe with him. Terry was Bowzer and Ian was Princess Peach. He laughed internally at the metaphor. He knew what his father had been capable of back in Chicago. He heard the stories. He wouldn’t take the chance of anything happening to Ian.

*****

Ian was not so lucky the next day. Ronnie was bringing in a horse for Ian to see, and low and behold, Terry was right behind him. He didn’t even have to be introduced. He could tell by the nasty scowl on his face. The guy looked like a son of a bitch.

“Hey Ronnie! What’s up?” Ian said, not yet acknowledging Terry.

“Hey Ian! Need you to take a look at my girl here and I wanted to introduce you to Terry.” Ronnie told him, looking like he did not want to introduce him to Terry but had no fucking choice.

“Hi Mr. Milkovich. I’m Ian, the new vet.” He said, while politely offering his hand for Terry to shake.

“Yeah, I gathered as much.” Terry snarked, ignoring Ian’s outreached hand.

Yep. Ian hated this fucking guy.

“So, what’s going on with Esmerelda?” Ian asked Ronnie, wishing Terry would show himself the exit.

Ian had never been so happy for an exam to be finished. Terry just stood there with a snarl, watching Ian like he had no idea what the fuck he was doing and it was fucking pissing him off.

“Good to see you, Ronnie. Terry.” Ian said, as the men exited the exam room.

Ian decided to pay Mickey a visit on his lunch break. His schedule had been full all morning, but he had an hour before his next appointment.

Ian heard it before he saw it. Terry was berating Mickey about how he was training one of the new horses.

“What the fuck did I tell you? You can’t be fucking soft, you pussy. You have to show them who’s boss. I tell you this every fucking time! You are one dumb fucker. Is it so fucking hard to listen to me?” Terry spat, as Mickey just stood there taking it.

Ian could see Mickey shutting down and he wanted nothing more than to go over and rescue him; to comfort him and tell him how good he was at his job, and that Terry was the one who didn’t know anything about training. Fuck this guy.

Once Terry finished his tirade on Mickey and left the training area, Ian waited a few minutes before stepping out from behind the barrels and joining him.

“Hey, Mick. You okay?” Ian said quietly, snapping Mickey out of whatever internal battle he was apparently having over what just happened.

“Did you hear that?” Mickey said quietly.

“Yeah. Sorry. Just came by to say hi. Kinda hard not to hear it.” Ian replied truthfully.

“Yeah, well. I’m gonna head back to my office. Thanks for stopping by.” Mickey said, not making eye contact and walking the horse back to the stable.

Ian followed Mickey until the horse was put away safely.

“Mick? Fuck him. He has no idea what he’s talking about. Don’t let him get to you, okay?” Ian told him.

“You have no fucking idea how much I wish I could, but he has this power...this fucking hold over me that just fucks me up, Ian. So how about you just back off?” Mickey spat.

Ian grabbed Mickey by his wrist and pulled him back until he was facing him. The men stared at each other for a minute before Ian pressed his lips to Mickey’s, kissing him softly.

It took Mickey a minute to respond to the gesture but he did. He kissed Ian back slowly until it started to turn into something more.

“My office.” Mickey said, as he made his way across the stable to his private office. The men entered the space and Mickey closed and locked the door.

“Fuck, we shouldn’t do this, you know that right?” Mickey questioned.

“Do you want to stop?” Ian asked.

“Fuck no.” Mickey replied, grabbing Ian and pulling him in roughly for another kiss.

Ian had absolutely no control over the path his hands chose to take, which led directly to Mickey’s incredible ass, pulling him closer so their groins were tight against each other.

“Fuck.” Mickey panted into Ian’s mouth.

“Feel so good. Want you, Mick. So fucking bad.” He replied.

“Need you. Want you inside of me.” Mickey replied.

“Please fucking tell me you have lube in here.” Ian asked.

“I do. Second drawer, all the way in the back.” Mickey answered, as he started to undress.

Ian hastily grabbed the lube and stopped dead. His eyes traveled over Mickey and he was pretty sure his heart stopped and someone would need to call a Code Blue. Mickey was perfect. He had a light blush covering his beautiful body. His stomach had the right amount of muscle and his arms were so strong. Ian could write sonets about his thighs and Jesus fuck, he was pretty sure he had died and gone to heaven.

“Ian? You okay?” Mickey asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

“Fuck yes. Never fucking better.” Ian replied, as he pulled his shirt off and started to unzip his pants.

“Come here.” Ian said, as he pulled Mickey over to his desk and made him bend over so his stomach was flush with the desk top and his ass was in the air on full display.

Ian sat in Mickey’s chair so he was face to face with this work of art and ran his hands slowly over the beautiful, round mounds while admiring the view.

“Gonna stare all day or do something?” Mickey questioned.

“I’m gonna do something.” Ian said, then spread Mickey’s cheeks wide, exposing his perfect pink asshole. Ian could feel his dick now at full hardness and he could not wait to be buried deep in this perfect ass.

Ian licked a wet stripe from Mickey’s balls, over his perineum, up to his hole.

“Jesus Christ.” Mickey breathed.

“Mmmm. Taste so fucking good, Mick. Fucking delicious.” Ian praised, then went back to his ministrations.

He licked around his rim then suctioned his mouth to his hole, pushing his tongue into Mickey’s tight heat.

“Ahhh, fuck. Goddamn, Ian.” Mickey breathed out.

“Could eat this ass every fucking day, Mick. So perfect.” Ian said, before he began licking back down and sucking gently on Mickey’s balls. He grabbed the lube and poured some onto his fingers.

Ian continued to tongue his hole until he could feel that Mickey was totally relaxed, then he gently pressed a finger into him.

Mickey moaned and it was Ian’s new favorite sound.

Ian searched with his thumb until he could feel where Mickey’s perineum was and applied pressure from the outside before sticking in another finger and searching for it on the inside.

“Oh god, oh god, oh ...mmmmph.” Mickey growled.

“Gonna make you feel so fucking good, Mick. Want you to feel good.” Ian said, as he continued scissoring and searching until he found the mound and pressed down, causing Mickey’s entire body to jolt and his ass to tense up before relaxing.

“IAN!” Mickey practically screamed at the feeling.

“Gonna cum if you keep that up. Wanna feel you inside of me.” Mickey begged.

“Gotta open you up a bit more.” Ian replied, then he sucked on Mickey’s balls while he inserted a third finger.

After a few minutes, Mickey had started to fuck back onto Ian’s hand, so he withdrew his fingers slowly.

Ian pulled out his wallet and grabbed the magnum, then dropped his pants to the floor. He rolled the condom on and lubed himself up before lining himself up with Mickey’s hole.

“Ready?” Ian panted, about to come out of his skin, so turned on from eating Mickey out.

“Fuck yes. Go!” Mickey replied.

Ian pushed into Mickey painfully slow. Mickey moaned the entire time, until Ian was balls deep in his ass. He waited until Mickey was adjusted and started to shake his ass back and forth, before Ian pulled out to the tip then slammed back into Mickey, being sure to hold onto his hips tightly.

“FUCK YES!” Mickey cried out.

“Feel amazing, Mick. Not sure how long I can last.” Ian replied.

“Just fuck me, Ian. Hit it hard.” Mickey told him; and with that, Ian started to give him the pounding of a lifetime.

The men were covered in sweat. The only noise coming from the office were low moans and the sound of bodies slapping together, as both men let go. Ian grabbed Mickey’s wet cock and ran his thumb across the head before stroking him in time with his thrusts.

Mickey whined and it brought Ian to the edge even faster.

“Mick, so fucking tight. Perfect fucking ass. Feel so good around my cock. Take it so good, baby.”

And with that, Mickey shot all over the front of his desk and floor, with Ian cumming just seconds later.

The men stayed like that until their breathing slowed, then Ian pulled out gently. He grabbed a couple of tissues from the box and cleaned Mickey up before pulling off the condom and tying it off. He wrapped it up in a tissue and placed it in the garbage. Both men dressed, then Mickey sat in the chair across from his desk as Ian took Mickey’s chair.

“That was fucking amazing, Mick.” Ian told him.

“Yeah. Yeah, it was. But we shouldn’t have let that happen, Ian. We both got caught up and it got away from us, but this can’t happen again. It just can’t.” Mickey told him.

“Fuck your dad, Mick. He’s a fucking asshole.” Ian responded.

“You think I don’t know that, Ian? I told you. He would fucking kill you and make me watch, before killing me too. And I am not being fucking dramatic here. I mean that shit.” Mickey told him.

“Okay, Mick. I get it.” Ian said reluctantly, as he stood up.

Ian paused to look at Mickey for something, anything, until Mickey looked away. Ian unlocked the door and closed it behind him, leaving Mickey alone with his thoughts.

Ian spent the rest of the day trying to put what had happened out of his mind, to no avail.

He had to stop in the main office to pick up some records and was not sure he was looking forward to seeing Mandy. He really liked her, but he felt like she could see through him. He also had an inkling that she knew.

“Hey, Mandy. Here for those records.” Ian smiled.

“Sure thing.” Mandy replied, as she got up to grab them.

“Hey. Everything okay?” She questioned.

“Yeah. It’s...it’s nothing.” He stuttered.

“Sure doesn’t look like nothing.” She replied.

“Well, unfortunately it is. Nothing.” He said, as he exited the office.

As he was walking back he could hear Terry screaming again. Ian wanted to fucking roundhouse this guy. If he wasn’t snarling, he was yelling, and it was apparently directed at Mickey. Again.

Ian could see Mickey in the ring with the horse and Terry at the fence, criticizing every move Mickey was making. Terry was holding something metal and waving it around like a fucking lunatic. He could see Mickey was tense, which in turn, transferred to the horse. This made for a dangerous situation that Terry didn’t seem to either understand or care about.

Ian decided he would walk over to try to diffuse the situation before Mickey got hurt, but he was too late. Terry had slammed the wrench against the metal barrel, spooking the horse, which in turn, kicked Mickey, knocking him several feet away and unconscious.

Ian could see the impact had been made directly to his stomach and shoulders. He also saw Mickey smack his head hard against the ground upon impact. He was out cold.

Before Ian got there, he could hear Terry grumbling. “Fucking idiot. Can’t fucking do anything right.”

Terry was pulling out his phone at such a leisurely pace that it incensed Ian. Ian was running as fast as he could to get to Mickey, jumping over the fence and hitting the ground next to him.

Mickey was not moving. Ian unbuttoned Mickey’s shirt and could already see the deep purple marks on his chest. He could also see blood pooling behind Mickey’s head. Everything was going in slow motion. He could hear screaming around him and Mandy running over to the other side of Mickey.

“Ambulance is on their way, Mick.” She told him, though he couldn’t hear her; but Ian was thankful for the information.

“He gonna be okay?” Mandy cried, tears running down her face.

“I don’t know, Mandy. He could have several injuries from the blow and his head is bleeding. I can’t move him. Paramedics will have to put him in traction.” He told her.

Ronnie arrived next. ‘Fuck. Jesus Christ, what happened?” He asked.

Ian looked around and Terry was nowhere to be found. Ian wanted to scream. Did this fucker actually not give any shits about the fact that his son was lying on the ground, possibly dying?

“Terry was yelling at Mickey. He hit the barrel with a wrench and the horse got spooked.” He told them.

Mandy and Ronnie both looked at each other then back to Mickey. ‘That mother fucker!” Ronnie replied angrily.

“I fucking hate him, Uncle Ronnie. I hate him. If anything happens to Mickey I swear I will kill him myself.” Mandy cried.

“Not if I get to him first, sweetheart. Not if I get to him first.” Ronnie replied.

The ambulance arrived and the paramedics carefully placed Mickey in traction. He did not wake up the entire time, which was scaring the fuck out of Ian, and obviously, Mickey’s family; but there were still no signs of Terry.

“I’ll drive.” Ronnie told Mandy.

“Can I come along?” Ian asked.

“Course you can.” Ronnie said, as they raced to his truck to follow the ambulance.

They rode there in silence, aside from Mandy’s sobs. When they arrived, Ronnie dropped Ian and Mandy off up front, then went to park the vehicle. They ran inside and could see Mickey being wheeled into the emergency room.

They watched the curtain being pulled and heard the call for the trauma team. Ronnie finally joined them and after about 10 minutes, they saw Mickey being wheeled over to the elevator.

“Where are they taking him? That’s my brother! Where are they taking him?” Mandy hollered.

The doctor on duty in the ER headed over to the threefold them, pulling them aside to a quiet area.

“He had a lot of trauma and he is still not responsive. They are taking him for x-rays and then into surgery. We could tell that he has internal bleeding, but until they x-ray him, we won’t know the extent of the damage. It’s safe to say he has some broken bones and is concussed. It’s just too soon to tell right now. I’m sorry I don’t have more information for you.” He told them.

“Is he gonna make it?” Mandy cried, her uncle now holding her up.

“I don’t know. He is in pretty bad shape but our doctors here are the best in their field.” He told them, which really did nothing to make them feel better.

All they could do now is sit and wait. Mandy had cried herself to sleep with her head lying on Ronnie’s shoulder. It had been hours with still no word.

“Ronnie, I know Terry’s your brother but Jesus Christ, Mickey could be dead and he isn’t even here.” Ian said angrily.

“Ian, my brother has no heart. If I were to ever refer to anyone as evil, it would be him. He has always been this way and he isn’t going to change. I’ve done my best to keep these kids safe and he has still found ways to hurt them. If anything happens to Mickey, I will put him six feet under. He will be a dead man.” Ronnie replied.

“Let me know if you need any help. I would be happy to pitch in.” Ian replied seriously.

“Good to know, Ian. Thanks for being here.” Ronnie told him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terry is a mother fucker and I promise he will get his for what happened to Mickey. I warned you, angst is coming so get ready because it starts in the next chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed at least a little of this chapter. 😬🧡


	6. Powered Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The surgeon delivers the news of Mickey’s condition to the family. Ian visits his mother after seeing Mickey and tells her everything. Ian and Ronnie have a talk about Terry.

*****

Fourteen hours later and many unfruitful trips to inquire about the status of the surgery, the surgeon finally walked through the double doors asking for the Milkovich family. Ronnie and Ian stood up immediately while Mandy’s legs didn’t seem to be working. The look on her face was heartbreaking, as if she was expecting to receive the worst news of her life. 

The surgeon quickly assessed the situation and asked if they would join him in a private room. That didn’t seem to help matters but at least they would have some privacy away from the eyes and ears of the others waiting for news on their own loved ones. 

Both Ronnie and Ian helped Mandy into the room and sat her gently on the chair. The space was very sterile looking; grey and small with a few blue chairs and a white table with a box of tissues. There was a window out to the hall but the blinds were down and shut giving the family a feeling of dread. 

After introductions, Dr. Marema began by explaining Mickey’s injuries. 

“Mickey suffered from blunt force trauma to the chest which caused a traumatic pericardial effusion, and during the surgery he developed signs of tamponade. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed and showed a larger pericardial effusion located with right ventricular diastolic collapse. The pericardial effusion was drained and revealed straw colored fluid without blood staining, which showed that all signs of tamponade resolved. There were however, other injuries including a shattered sternum and several broken ribs. He also suffered from a concussion to his head and has some inflammation in his brain.”

Ronnie and Mandy looked at eachother like the surgeon was speaking Japanese, because he might as well have been.

“I’m sorry, doctor. Perhaps you could explain in more layman terms.” Ian asked noticing the look of confusion on their faces.

“Of course. A Pericardial effusion is when fluid accumulates in the double-layered sac-like structure around the heart. There is typically a thin layer of fluid, but if the heart is injured, the resulting inflammation can lead to excess fluid which can put pressure on the heart, affecting its function. We repaired it but still have to keep a close eye on possible blood clots forming, which can lead to a stroke.”

He paused to allow for any questions and when none came, he continued.

“Inflammation from the head injury can cause the brain to push against the skull and increase pressure. We put Mickey into a medically induced coma to keep his temperature down, which will allow the brain to rest and not exert itself more than absolutely necessary. Too much activity would speed up brain damage.”

“Wait? Speed up? Does that mean that he has brain damage?” Ronnie asked.

“We won’t know until we take him out of the coma. His brain activity looked normal so that is positive news. But we can’t guess. Only time will tell.” Dr. Marema told them.

“When will he be able to come out of the coma?” Mandy stuttered.

“We will be monitoring him very closely and when we are sure that swelling is no longer an issue, we can discuss our options.” He told them.

“Options.” Ian thought. Fuck.

Ian understood very well that doctors had to keep their conversations very clinical and not give the family any false hope. That didn’t stop him from wanting to kick the surgeon in his fucking shin right now.

“How are his other injuries?” Ian questioned.

“Right now, he is stable. He will be kept in ICU and be under close observation.” He told them.

Mandy’s sobs became increasingly loud and uncontrolled so Ronnie pulled his niece into him tightly.

“Can we see him?” Ian questioned.

“Only two at a time, but be prepared to see him with many tubes and wires. He won’t look like himself after the injuries he sustained. Please try to stay positive when you’re with him. I can’t imagine how hard that might be, but when a patient is in a coma, we do not know if they are actually just “powered down” or completely out. In case he knows you’re there, try to talk to him gently and speak positively.” He advised.

“O..okay.” Mandy said.

“Ian, why don’t you go in there first. Give me time to calm Mandy down a little before we head in to see him.” Ronnie suggested.

“Are you sure?” Ian asked.

“Yes. Go ahead. I need to spend some time with her and try to talk to her a little bit.” He told him. 

Mandy was completely unaware of the exchange of words due to her sobbing.

“Okay. I won’t take long.” Ian replied.

*****

Ian followed the surgeon to a desk where he asked the nurse to accompany him to Mickey’s room. She was polite and trying to be helpful, gently directing him where to go. His mind barely registered, just following blindly. He couldn’t get the images of the accident out of his head. He felt sick and both wanted to see Mickey, hold his hand and tell him everything would be okay, and go home and pull his covers over his head and cry until he had no more tears.

He walked down the long corridors with shiny floors, passing sign after sign and noticing the green ones say EXIT. They entered through large double wooden doors that could only be accessed by the nurse who used her badge. They started to pass rooms with numbers on their doors. Some were open and he could see medical devices hooked up to the patients and hear the constant beeping of the machines keeping them alive. 

The nurses at the main desk looked up but just nodded as the nurse with Ian simply said “Mickey Milkovich” in a low voice. He could hear their whispers which he assumed was probably required in this unit. He also noticed doctors checking in on patients, reviewing their clipboards, which hung at the end of their beds.

Ian was finally jolted out of his daze by the kind nurse who opened the door and told him she would be outside at the desk, if he needed her. Ian simply shook his head, took a deep breath, and walked into the room.

Before looking directly at Mickey, he took in the room. The lights were low and there were cords and IV’s and beeps and breathing sounds. He braced himself before turning to look at the man he was hopelessly smitten with, and his breath caught in his throat immediately.

Tears began to pool in his eyes then started to flow down his cheeks onto his neck. He could see wires coming up through the neck of the hospital gown, which he could tell was simply draped over Mickey and not tied in the back, assuming it was for easy access to check on his wounds and injuries.

He had to look away to try to compose himself, noticing that the view from the room through the mini blinds was just a shitty view of an adjoining building. He stared for a while and listened to Mickey breath. He was breathing, thank fuck. That thought gave Ian the courage to turn back around and walk towards Mickey’s bed. 

The closer he got, the more cuts and bruises he could see. His chest was heavily bandaged and he had several IV’s draped from the stand along with so many plugs and wires. Ian knew what each was for and studied his vitals for a minute.

He finally sat down in the chair next to the bed and took the brunettes hand in his, very gently wrapping his hand around Mickey’s.

After sitting and just looking at him, he spoke.

“Hey, Mick. You sure gave us all a scare. The doctor said you did good in surgery. They have to keep you sedated until you heal a little bit more but then you’ll be up in no time. I just want you to focus on healing, okay? That is the most important thing you can do for your family. For me.” He said in a low and calming voice, trying to keep his nerves in check.

He began to rub his thumb slowly over the top of Mickey’s hand, feeling how cold Mickey’s skin was. He wanted nothing more than to cover him with warm blankets, but understood the necessity of keeping him cool. 

“Mick, I want you to know that everything will be okay. I’m going to make sure of it. Whatever it takes, alright? Believe that, because I mean it. You will be okay. We will be okay. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He continued.

Ian wanted to stay there all night, talking to Mickey and holding his hand to make sure he knew he was not alone. He wanted to crawl in the bed next to him and protectively wrap his body around him, but he knew he couldn’t. He had to let his family have their time with him. He was thankful that Ronnie even let him see Mickey, let alone go in first. Ian was not family but Ronnie had fibbed and told the doctor that Ian was Mickey’s cousin. He was grateful for that and thankful he was able to see him. He would have gone fucking crazy if he wasn’t able to at least look at the man he was crazy about.

“I’m gonna go but I’ll be back, I promise. Mandy and Ronnie want to see you. Mick, please don’t leave me. I’ve never felt this way before and I don’t think I ever will again. It’s not easy for me to open up to people, to let myself be vulnerable. I don’t have a very good track record with people wanting me to be a part of their life. Please just get better and come home.” Ian said, then placed a kiss on his hand before standing and leaning in to gently kiss his forehead.

He shut the door quietly behind him and found the station where the nurse was and she led him back to Ronnie and Mandy, who were anxious to see Mickey. Ronnie had gotten Mandy under some semblance of control and they were looking at him wide-eyed as if he had all the answers.

“He looks rough but he’s so strong. I think he’ll be just fine.” He said, as he approached them. He silently prayed that he was right.

Mandy nodded, taking in an audible breath and Ronnie patted Ian on the back. 

“Listen, kid. Go home and get some sleep. Might need you to help out around the place a little more while we get through this, then we can come up with a schedule so we’re sure that someone is always here with him. That okay?” He asked.

“Sure. Of course. Anything you need, Ronnie.” Ian promised, then watched as they walked down the long corridor until they disappeared.

*****

Ian forgot that he didn’t drive, and was pretty sure Ronnie probably forgot as well. Ian sat on the bench in front of the hospital and opened his Uber app. A driver was close, thank god. As he sat and waited, he thought about work the next day. The first thing that came to his mind was mother fucking Terry Milkovich. 

Ian could not fucking get over the fact that not only did Terry not come, he didn’t so much as even fucking call, as far as he was aware. Even Ian’s shitty parents at least pretend to care about him, for fuck sake. 

He was trying to figure out how he could go to work tomorrow and interact with Terry without kicking his ass from one side of the property to the other. 

The Uber pulled up and he got in and greeted the driver then went back to his thoughts. He wished that Ronnie was Mandy and Mickey’s father and that there was no Terry. He contemplated how much easier things would be for them. Ian wasn’t sure if Ronnie even knew that Mickey was gay, but he was pretty fucking sure he wouldn’t kill the kid over his sexuality. 

Ian went dark and started to imagine ways he could off the son of a bitch. He started to scare himself when he honestly began to consider how easy it would be to do on a farm. Before he could go full on “Punisher”, the driver stopped in front of his office. Ian thanked him then got out of the car to enter the office. Everyone was gone but he wanted to check his email to see if there was anything about Mickey.

He opened his email and noticed one sent to the whole staff from Terry. Ian’s face started to feel flush as anger overtook him. He clicked on the icon and opened the message.

“Mickey was in an accident today and will be out of the office for a while. I will be traveling this week and next. If you need anything, call Ronnie.”

“WHAT. THE. FUCK!” Ian got up from his desk and picked up the first thing he could find to throw at the wall. It ended up being his mouse, which shattered and left a mark. He gave not one fuck. He just couldn’t believe it. No heart. No fucking soul. 

He paced around the room until his blood pressure regulated. Once he was able to breathe again, he closed his email, grabbed his keys, then locked the door. He got in his car and started to drive. He needed his mother. He dialed her phone to tell her that he was on his way over.

*****

Ian pulled into the paved driveway and parked his car. He made his way up the winding sidewalk path up to his mother’s porch. She had flowers planted in the ground and in large terracotta pots. Baskets were hanging from the porch in between each pole overflowing with red geraniums, four baskets in total. She had two white chairs with a table in between them on one side and a porch swing covered with pillows on the other. The front door was open but the screen door was locked. He was glad his mother listened to him and kept the doors locked though he would prefer for the front door to be locked as well. He gave her a pass because she likely opened the door because he had called to come over.

He knocked gently knowing his mother was probably in the living room to the right of the door, if the lights were any indication.

“There’s my kid! How are you, baby boy?” She asked as she quickly unlocked the door and pulled him inside pulling him into a Mom hug.

“I’m okay, Ma. I’ve been better but I’ll be okay. Just really wanted to talk to you.” He said as they made their way back to the kitchen.

“Of course, baby. Do you want some coffee or tea? I made sugar cookies filled with lemon curd.” She told him knowing they were his absolute favorite.

“Tea, please. Decaf, if you have it. And yes to cookies. You made my favorite?” He questioned.

“I was going to bring you a care package to work tomorrow and surprise you. I haven’t seen your fancy new office yet.” She told him.

“You’re the best, Ma.” He smiled as she put on a pot of water to boil and grabbed the plastic tupperware container to pull out some cookies for her son.

“You’re the best.” She replied with a smile.

“So tell me what happened today.” She said as she sat the plate in front of her son and leaned against the counter waiting for the water to boil.

“Today was a nightmare. Mickey, the trainer was kicked by a horse he was training and had to go to the hospital. He’s in intensive care now. I just came from there.” He told her.

“Oh, honey! That’s terrible. Is he going to be okay?” She said with concern. She was no stranger to horse related injuries and knew that they could be extremely dangerous or fatal even.

“Yeah, I saw it happen. It was...it was just really bad. I ran over to him and he was knocked out completely. I was so scared.” He told his mother.

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do?” She questioned.

“No, Ma. Just really upset. And I’m really scared.” he replied.

“That is very traumatic.” She told him as she grabbed the pot and turned the stove off pouring the water over the tea bag in the cup.

“Let’s go talk in the living room.” She told him carrying his cup with her. He followed with his plate of cookies.

“Ian, have you eaten today? I gave you cookies but did you have lunch or dinner?” She asked worriedly.

“No. I really couldn’t eat. I am kinda hungry.” He told her.

“I roasted chicken and have stuffing and vegetables leftover too. Do you want me to heat that up or do you want a chicken sandwich?” She asked already knowing the answer.

“Chicken sandwich.” He told her.

I’ll be right back.” And with that she went to the kitchen to make her boy his favorite sandwich.

He normally ate this sandwich after Thanksgiving until he was sick of them for a few months, then would make them with rotisserie chicken.

His mother grabbed a fresh sub roll and spread the mayo across before adding the stuffing. She pressed the stuffing down to mold it to the shape of the bread then topped it with white meat that she seasoned with salt and extra pepper. She opened a can of cranberry sauce and scooped some out putting it on top of the chicken. She cut it in half, added some kettle chips and a pickle and made her way back to the living room.

Ian had already opened a tv dinner table and she sat the plate in front of him. She placed a glass of water down as well as a few napkins.

“This looks so good!” He said and took a big bite. She watched with pride while he took pleasure in something she made him. She loved taking care of her son and to see his happy face. She lived for these moments.

She made small talk while he ate allowing him time to eat something before getting into what she knew would be an unpleasant story.

Once he was done, he placed the napkin on the plate and sat the small plate of cookies on top.

“Remember when I went to Florida for work?” He asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Mickey and I went together.”

“Okay.”

“You know I have a hard time making friends. That I am the quintessential introvert and stick to myself for the most part.” 

“I know all of these things about you, Ian.”

“Well, I wasn’t like that with Mickey. I wanted to talk. I wanted to ask him questions and get to know him. We had a really great time together, Ma.”

“That’s great, baby.”

“He’s gay, too.”

“Oh, I see. So you like him.”

“I really do. A lot.”

“Oh, honey. I understand why you are so upset. I assume he knows you are, too.”

“He does. We kinda, well. That’s not really important but the problem is his father.”

“Terry Milkovich.” She responded and watched as her son nodded his head. She had heard of the bastard and was concerned with him working for him.

“He is the one who caused Mickey to get hurt, Ma.”

“How?”

“He is horrible to him. Most of the time he isn’t there and their Uncle Ronnie runs the place but he came back and Ma. It was a nightmare. He was so mean to him. So degrading. Mickey couldn’t do anything right.”

She nodded and he kept on.

“Mickey was trying to train one of the new horses he bought from Florida and Terry did nothing but criticize him the entire time.”

“He is not a nice man. Hateful actually.”

“He really is. So Mickey is in the arena and Terry is holding a wrench. Well he starts banging on the barrel and the horse got spooked and kicked Mickey in the chest. He knocked him out. He hit his head pretty hard on the ground.”

“Jesus, Ian.”

“Then Terry fucking walks away. I’m sorry. I try not to cuss in front of you but I am so upset.” He said wiping a tear recalling the horrible memory.

‘It’s okay, Ian. I understand. Sometimes fuck is the only word that can quite express your emotions” She smiled never having said that word in front of him before.

“Ma! That sounded really weird coming from your mouth.” He smiled.

“Go on.”

“The ambulance came and me, Ronnie who runs the place and is Terry’s brother, and Mandy who is Mickey’s sister went along. Not Terry. He didn’t come in or even call. Then I get back to the office to get my car and made the mistake of checking my email. He sent a general email to everyone telling them Mickey was in an accident and will be out for a while. Oh, and that he would be traveling for two weeks!”

“What a son of a bitch!”

“He is horrible. So I was able to see him but he looks bad. He had to have heart surgery and fluid drained and has a concussion so he is in a medically induced coma until the swelling goes down.”

“I am so very sorry. So sorry, Ian.”

“Yeah. Me, too. We like each other, too. He likes me like I like him. But if Terry finds out that Mickey is gay, he will kill him. Mickey told me that before but now I really believe that he would actually kill him.”

“That’s dangerous and makes me worry about you, Ian.”

“He won’t find out. Mickey told me nothing could happen because of Terry. He doesn’t want me getting hurt.”

“Well, he sounds like a good man.”

“He is, Ma.”

“Baby, what’s meant for you will not pass you by. Be there for him when he starts to heal. Be his friend. But don’t put either of you in jeopardy with Terry. You now know what that man is capable of. Promise me, Ian.”

“I promise, Ma. I just want him to get better.”

“I do too, sweetheart.”

“Can I stay here tonight?” He asked.

“You know you don’t have to ask. This is your home, too.”

Maria picked up the plates and carried them to the kitchen. Ian followed with his glass and tea cup.

“The bed is always made up for you.” She told him.

“Goodnight, Ma. Thanks for listening.” 

“That is what mothers are for, baby. I’m proud of you.”

“For what?”

“For letting someone in. I know it’s hard for you. He must be really special.” She said before heading up the stairs to go to bed herself.

Ian locked up then fell into his bed and set the alarm before passing out from exhaustion.

*****

  
The next morning, he woke up too early to an alarm going off in his ear. He felt like he had only had 10 minutes of sleep. It was early and he needed to go home and get ready for work. 

He let himself out and pulled out of the driveway. Once he was home he checked his messages to see if there were any updates. He had a text from both Mandy and Ronnie.

Mandy (2:50PM) : I just wanted to thank you for today. No changes but he has been stable which they say is very good. Going to try to get some rest but will talk to you tomorrow. Xo

Ronnie (3:00PM) : Appreciate you being there for Mick today. No changes but he is stable. Saw the email. We will talk tomorrow.

Ian knew exactly which email Ronnie was referring to and was glad that he acknowledged it because it had Ian in a fucking tissy. He showered, grabbed some clean clothes and got back in his car to head into the office. 

He found a note on his computer from one of the techs saying that she would be filling in at the main office for Mandy today. He was glad that Mandy had a backup. Ian had made it through his emails and reviewed his appointments for the day. He only had two figuring that business as usual wouldn’t be the case for a while. He was thankful for that too.

At 10AM Ronnie came into the office and sat down heavily on the chair in front of Ian’s desk.

“Hey Ronnie. You hanging in there?” Ian questioned.

“Long fucking night. So fucking worried about that kid. Don’t know what I would do if I lost him. Mick’s like my son.” He said showing heavy emotion for the first time.

“He’s special.” Ian said not making eye contact with Ronnie.

“I don’t give a shit, Ian. I knew Mickey was gay since he was 12 years old. Mandy told me about you and him and I think it’s great.”

Ian looked shocked and couldn’t believe that both Mandy and Ronnie knew about them.

“I didn’t know if you knew he was gay let alone about us. Mick isn’t gonna let us happen though. He’s afraid of what Terry would do if he found out.”

“He would kill him, then you. Or vice versa.”

“Yeah. I got that.”

“I am getting really sick and fucking tired of Terry fucking up the lives of the people I love and care about and something has got to give. Not living like this anymore. Especially after what happened to Mick.”

“Well, what are you thinking.”

“Oh, kid. You don’t want to know.”

“I have probably already thought it myself, Ronnie. You’re not going to scare me off.”

“Okay. Good. Let’s wait until Mick is out of the woods then we can talk.”

“Looking forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a vet nor a surgeon and I know that horses have four legs, that’s about it. I do however research but please feel free to correct me if you are an expert on the subject matter. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and feedback. It inspires me to keep going. 😘🙏🏼


	7. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wakey, wake...eggs and bakey!

*****

Mickey is awake, at least he thinks he is awake, but he can’t open his eyes. He tries with all his might, focusing every ounce of his energy on this one task. Okay, maybe he’s dead, he thinks. He tries to move his arms, then his legs. Nothing. He then tries to sit up but the pain in his chest is searing. Fuck. He tries speaking. That doesn’t work either. Yep, he’s definitely dead, he’s just about certain. 

Apparently, he went to hell. He wouldn’t have guessed that one. Terry? Yes. Him? No. He was certainly no angel but hell was pretty fucking harsh, he thought. Having an active mind while nothing else in your body is working and you are alone in a vast state of nothingness, makes Mickey even more petrified the more he thinks about his situation. There is no way this can be how he spends eternity. It feels like the worst kind of torture. He’s going to go insane inside his own head and nobody’s there; nobody can help him. All he hears are beeps and clicks and muffled sounds.

He needs to do something to keep himself from panicking so he concentrates on his breathing, taking deep breaths. Wait. Can you breathe when you’re dead? Maybe he isn’t really dead. He starts to count the beeps and it’s working. His mind quiets and eventually he drifts off again.

*****

On the fifth day after the accident, Ronnie, Mandy, and Ian had a pretty good schedule in place, ensuring that Mickey was never alone. Even after visiting hours, someone was always there waiting, in case he woke up. Mandy insisted on it. She would not have her brother wake up thinking he was alone. Fuck that. Ronnie and Ian were fine with that decision.

Ronnie kept the stable operating almost “business as usual” however, he told everyone to just maintain the place and not worry about anything else. The horses would get their exercise but training was off the table right now. That allowed everyone to do a deep clean and organization of the place, which was normally a bi-annual event that they all loathed. This time though, nobody seemed to mind, finding it as a welcome distraction, almost therapeutic. He figured once Mickey was awake, he’d thank him for not having to participate. At least he hoped.

Ian had Kelsey in the office when he wasn’t there and Rosie was covering Mandy at the front desk. That allowed both of them to be able to sleep, work a few hours, and stay at the hospital. The three of them were exhausted, working on very little sleep with even their down time being filled with worry.

Terry called once to ask about his schedule and was kind enough to inquire if Mickey was back to work yet. Ronnie had to put his entire soul into answering that question without telling his brother that he was an absolute piece of shit and that he wished it was him instead of Mickey laying in that bed in a fucking coma. Fucking mother fucker. After they hung up, Ronnie flipped his desk before walking out of his office. His office was still in disarray but he couldn’t bring himself to give one single fuck.

*****

Ian was at the hospital sitting by Mickey’s bed, holding his hand, as he always did whenever he was in the room with him. He always spoke to him and told him stories he would never tell anyone who was in a conscious state. He told him about Frank and his siblings, about being in foster care, his life growing up with his parents, and the time he spent on the horse farm with Maria and her family. Sometimes he even sang to him softly. 

Mandy entered the room quietly, smiling at Ian when he noticed she was there. 

“How is he?” She asked.

“The same. His heart rate did jump up a bit for a couple of minutes, then it evened back out.” Ian replied.

“Did you tell the doctor?” 

“As soon as it started I buzzed and they came right in. Doctor said it was normal. The nurse said it could be a good sign and to keep doing what we’re doing.” Ian told her.

“Really?” Many asked, hopefully.

“Yeah, but there’s no way to really tell, Mands.” He told her, not wanting her to have false hope. Although, in his experience, nurses typically knew more about this type of thing than the doctors themselves, due to having spent most of their time with the patients.

“His color looks much better. Bruises are starting to lighten up.” She noticed.

“I know. He really does look so much better.” Ian agreed.

“I know you have to be exhausted, Ian. Why don’t you head home and get some sleep? I promise I’ll call if there are any changes.” She urged. 

Ian looked like he was the walking dead and didn’t disagree. “Sure. Do you need anything before I leave?”

“No, I’m good. Just ate and had a cup of coffee.” She whispered.

“Goodnight, Mandy.” He said, as he shut the door slowly.

*****

Mandy had been at her brother’s side for a couple of hours before getting up to use the bathroom and grab another cup of coffee. On her way out, she told the nurse on duty just as she did anytime she left. She always asked if they needed anything. 

When she came back into the nurses area, she saw the surgeon making his rounds and stopped to talk to him for a few minutes. He explained that there haven’t been any changes but not to worry due to the type of injuries Mickey sustained. Easy for him to say.

She entered Mickey’s room and took her seat next to the bed, studying her brother’s injuries. It made her heart break to know the pain he endured at the hands of Terry, both mentally and physically. She would kill him herself if she thought she could get away with it. She held her brother’s hand in hers and gently rubbed her thumb back and forth, hoping he could feel that he was not alone.

She noticed his eyes flutter and she jumped up immediately, getting closer to his face. “Mick? Mickey, it’s Mandy. I’m here. Please, Mick. Open your eyes. We need you back. Please, Mick.” She pleaded to him.

His eyes continued to flutter as she pressed the call button. The nurse was there in less than thirty seconds.

“What’s up, honey? Everything okay?” She asked.

“Look at his eyes. They’re moving. Is he going to wake up? Is that what this means?” She asked hopefully.

“Let me take a look.” The nurse checked Mickey’s eyes and his pupils were responsive but his eyes stopped the movement.

“Not yet, honey. I think these are good signs today. It shows activity and that is positive for sure. Just keep talking to him, okay? And call me if you notice anything else.” She told her.

Mandy was hoping she would get to see her brother’s beautiful blue eyes tonight but it wasn’t going to happen; though she was more hopeful than she had been in days.

She held his hand and sat there, trying to pick up any little sign of consciousness. She had started to doze when she felt his hand move. She jolted up, staring at his fingers that were gently squeezing hers. She looked up and her wish came true. She was met with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes staring right back at her.

“Mickey! Mickey are you really awake?” She said and got a squeeze in response. She kept his hand in hers as she frantically hit the call button.

The nurse entered and called out to the other nurse to come into the room. Mandy refused to let go of her brother’s hand.

“Mr. Milkovich...can you hear me?” The nurse asked.

Mickey tried to answer but could not get words out of his dry throat. He looked like he was in another world, almost confused.

“Grab him some ice chips.” She told the other nurse, as she opened a large swab to moisten his lips and mouth in the meantime.

When the second nurse returned with the ice chips, she asked Mickey if he would like some and he was able to nod. Mandy stood there with tears in her eyes, still holding his hand tightly, watching as her brother interacted with the nurses.

After a few minutes of getting a little fluid to quench his thirst, he spoke roughly, his voice almost not audible.

“Mands, stop squeezing my hand.” He finally let out, making her realize how tight of a grip she had on her brother.

She started laughing but let go of his hand and kissed his face. “I missed you so much! If you ever scare me like this again, Mickey, so help me god!” 

The nurse said she could continue to give him ice chips if he asked for them. She also informed her that the doctor has been called to come in and check on him. She sat with Mickey and the nurse was in and out until the doctor arrived half an hour later. The nurse kept asking him questions, keeping them simple, only requiring a one word reply or a nod of his head.

When the doctor arrived, Mandy was asked to step out so he could examine Mickey. She took the opportunity to call Ronnie and Ian, both of whom said they were on their way.

*****

“How is he? Is he talking? Did he say anything? Did the doctor say there was any permanent damage? When can he come home?” Ronnie asked, as soon as he saw Mandy in the waiting room.

“I’m not sure yet. All I know is that he’s awake, he’s able to speak a little and answer questions. There doesn’t seem to be any permanent damage but the doctor is examining him now.” She explained.

“Fuck, Mandy. I am so relieved. It’s good he’s talking.” Ronnie said.

“I know. I’m a nervous fucking wreck though. I wish they would come get us and tell us something.” She replied.

They sat there waiting for the doctor and Ian when fucking finally the doors opened and the doctor was making his way over.

“How is he?” Mandy asked immediately.

“We did several tests and everything looks good. He is responding to my questions and doesn’t seem to have any memory loss. His vitals look great. He’ll be ready to move out of the ICU tomorrow morning, but we want to keep him and monitor him for a few days before we start talking about release dates.” He told her.

Mandy burst out crying and her uncle grabbed her. This time they were happy tears.

“That’s great, doc. Thanks so much! Can we see him?” Ronnie asked.

“He’s pretty tired and is probably already sleeping but you can go see him.” He told them.

When they entered the room, Mickey’s eyes were shut but opened when he heard them both sit down.

“Hey Mick. Good to see you again. Gave us a real scare.” Ronnie said.

Mickey smiled and answered in a scratchy voice, “I got to keep you on your toes.”

“Well, cut that shit out. You feeling okay, kiddo?” He asked.

“Everything hurts. But at least I can feel.” He explained.

“You’ll be back with the horses in no time. Put this behind you.” Ronnie said encouragingly.

Mickey just smiled then nodded back off to sleep.

Ian had texted Mandy when he arrived and she let him go in to see Mickey, although he was still sleeping. 

He and Ronnie talked for a few minutes before they were both asked to leave so Mickey could start to be prepared for transfer to a recovery room. They were told to come back at 9am, giving them a couple of hours to get some rest.

Ian was thrilled with the news and could not wait to see Mickey and be able to talk to him. He would be back with Ronnie and Mandy in the morning. 

This was the first time the three of them felt relief and were able to get a good rest.

*****

“Hi Mick.” Ian said, as he entered Mickey’s room.

“Hey, man.” Mickey said with a smile, obviously happy with his visitor.

“It’s so nice to see your face, to talk to you. How are you feeling?” Ian asked.

“Well, the agony has faded to a dull throb so there’s that. Still really stiff. Guess lying in a bed will do that to you.” He replied.

“I bet. Do you need anything? Can you eat? Did you eat? Are you hungry?” Ian offered.

Mickey just laughed at his eagerness before explaining that they gave him breakfast this morning. After considering the offer for a moment longer, he admitted that he would kill for a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit and some hash browns from McDonalds.

“There’s a McDonald’s right down the street.” Ian told him, just as Mandy walked in.

“There he is! How are you feeling?” She asked.

“Feel pretty good. Sore, stiff, but okay.” Mickey answered.

“I’m gonna run down to McDonalds and grab Mick a sandwich. Do you want anything?” Ian asked.

“That sounds fucking delicious. I’ll take a bacon, egg, and cheese McGriddle and a hashbrown.” She replied.

“What do you think Ronnie will want?” Ian asked.

“He’ll want the bacon, egg, and sausage biscuit and a hashbrown.” Mickey told him, making both Ian and Mandy smile.

“Sure thing. Be right back.” He said, as he left the room to go get Mickey what the fuck ever he wanted.

*****

A few days later, Mickey was able to be released, after having received physical therapy to help with the bit of atrophy in his muscles. Luckily, he wasn’t in too bad of shape since he was only down for a short time.

Ian drove Mickey home in his car so he didn’t have to try to climb up into Ronnie’s truck. He would need a couple of weeks of rest and recovery before he could attempt to lift himself up the way getting into his truck would require.

Ian had never been to Mickey’s place before and was nervous, but excited to see it. The conversation flow was good on the way back and neither Mickey or Ian brought up Terry, the mother fucker. Ian wanted to avoid that conversation like the clap for a while. He was still too angry to have that discussion.

When they arrived at Mickey’s house, both Mandy and Ronnie were on the front porch having a smoke.

“Light me up one of those, would ya?” Mickey asked, as he took the steps slowly. Ian followed right behind him in case of a misstep. 

“You can back the fuck up, Red. I’m fine. No need to baby me.” He told him.

“Just being careful, Mick.” Ian told him.

Mickey just shook his head and grabbed Mandy’s cigarette from her. 

“There’s my asshole brother.” She said, grabbing another cigarette from the pack.

“Miss me?” He said, as he exhaled a large plume of smoke.

“Fuck, you. You know I did.” She replied.

“How ya feeling, buddy?” Ronnie asked.

“Good. Sore, but I’ll be fine.” He told him as he leaned back against the railing.

Ronnie shot up to offer Mickey his seat, pissed at himself for not doing it sooner.

“Nah, I’m okay. Been on my ass for too long. Feels good to stand.” Mickey explained.

“You need help with anything? Groceries, cleaning?” Mandy asked.

“Nah, I’m fine. I’m not disabled. I can take care of myself now.” He told her, not liking to be dependent on anyone but himself. 

“Just asking, Mick. Nothing wrong with needing a hand while you heal.” She replied.

“M’fine.” He said, looking away.

“I’m gonna get in the shower for about two hours, then head up to the barn.” Mickey told them.

“The fuck you are. You need to rest, Mick.” Mandy shot.

“Don’t start. You know damn well I can’t sit up here on my ass all fucking day.” He told her.

“Mandy’s right, Mick. Should try to take it easy for a few days.” Ronnie offered.

“Fuck. Guys, I’m okay. Stop with this bullshit, please.” He said, sounding annoyed.

“They just want to help, Mick.” Ian said.

“Hey. Butt the fuck out. This is none of your business, Ian. Don’t you have a job to do?” Mickey spat, taking his frustration out on the wrong damned person.

Ian stood in silence. That stung. He simply nodded, then turned to walk down the steps towards his car so he could drive back to his office. He couldn’t help the ache in his heart at those words, but he tried to tell himself that Mickey had gone through a lot and he was being oversensitive.

“What the fuck, Mick? Yell at me, yell at Uncle Ronnie but you do not yell at Ian. He was there every fucking day for you. He was in that hospital just as much as us. He still came to work, too. He is fucking exhausted. We all are. You fucking hurt his feelings and you need to fucking apologize.” Mandy yelled.

Mickey looked incredible guilty and felt bad for his outburst. After his shower he would go apologize.

“Yeah. I’ll stop by his office.” Mickey said, before opening the front door to his house.

“Call me when you’re ready. I’ll drive you up.” Ronnie told him.

“I can fucking drive, man. It isn’t even a mile.” Mickey yelled.

“Don’t fucking care, Mick. Call me.” Ronnie said, before taking off down the steps and making his way to his truck, with Mandy in tow.

  
  


*****

  
  


Mickey had showered and shaved and he felt like a new person. He threw a burrito in the microwave and scarfed it down before grabbing his keys to head up to the barn.

He opened the door to his truck and put one foot on the lift, reaching up for the hand bar to lift himself. He felt a jaring blast of pain jolt up his chest right into his brain when he started to pull himself up.

He stepped back down. He turned around and carefully stepped up backwards on the lift, leaning his body weight against the seat, taking some of the pressure off of his chest. He was able to get into the seat, although shutting the door proved to be agonizing.

He started the engine and let it run for a minute before lighting a cigarette. He waited until the pain in his body dissipated into a dull throb. He rubbed his shoulder while finishing off the cigarette in the hopes that it would help the throbbing but it hadn’t.

Once he threw the cigarette out the window, he started up the dirt drive, making his way towards the vet building. The bumps in the road were fucking a bit with his vision, making it blurry; so he let off of the gas and took it a bit slower. 

By the time he got to the office, he was full on dizzy. He awkwardly tried to open the door to avoid the pain but it didn’t work. He did his best to maneuver himself out of the truck and steady himself. He had to lean for a moment to get his bearings back. He really shoulda fucking called Ronnie.

“Hey.” Mickey said meekly, as he entered Ian’s office.

“Hey, Mick.” Ian said, keeping himself busy to avoid eye contact because he was sure Mickey would be able to pick up the hurt in his eyes if he looked at him.

Mickey made his way over to the seat across from Ian. “Listen, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you. I really appreciate you being there for me. For giving a shit.” 

Ian looked up at Mickey and could see that he meant what he said. “It’s okay. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Doesn’t give me the right to bite your head off.” He replied.

“It’s really alright, Mick.”

“We okay?” Mickey asked.

“Of course we are.” Ian replied with a smile.

“Good. I’m gonna head over to my office and check on the guys. See how they’re doing.” Mickey told him.

“You need a ride? Ronnie drop you off or is he still outside?” Ian questioned.

“I drove my fucking self. Told ya, I’m fine.” He said, as he got up from the seat and wobbled slightly.

“Mick, are you dizzy?” Ian asked. 

“It’s fine. Goes away in a minute.” Mickey explained. 

“You sure?”

“Said I’m fine, Ian.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll walk you out. Want to catch a smoke anyway.” Ian said, not really wanting a smoke but wanting to be sure Mickey was okay to drive.

Mickey didn’t want Ian to see him struggle, so he stood and had a cigarette with him while making small talk; then he insisted Ian go inside before he left.

Ian was uneasy about letting him drive after seeing him stumble. He stood by the front door looking out of the window from an angle that Mickey wouldn’t be able to see him.

Ian was in pain just watching Mickey get into the truck. He wanted nothing more than to run over and help him, but he knew that would just piss Mickey off. He would however, be sure to have a talk with Mandy and Ronnie.

Mickey took off and was driving slowly from what Ian could tell. The drive was less than a mile so he took a deep calming breath and sat back down to continue his work. 

A couple hours later, Ronnie came into Ian’s office.

“Did Mickey stop by here?” He asked.

“Yeah, he stopped by to apologize. He was driving, Ronnie. I didn’t want him to drive but I didn’t want to stop him either after what happened earlier.”

“He made it to his office but fell down and is having trouble keeping his balance. Won’t let me take him to the hospital.” Ronnie told him.

“Fuck! I shouldn’t have let him drive.” Ian said, chastising himself.

“Wasn’t you, Ian. None of us could have stopped him. That kid has a hard fucking head.”

“He might have vertigo, Ronnie. It happens sometimes after head injuries. Loss of balance, dizziness, vision problems, headaches, even migraines.” Ian warned.

“I need to get him in to see the doc to get checked out.” Ronnie said.

“Has Mandy talked to him?” Ian asked.

“Haven’t told her yet.”

“If anyone can get him to go, it’s her.”

“True. Let me give her a call.” Ronnie said.

Ian heard her before he saw her. Ronnie and Ian were pulling up to Mickey’s when they heard Mandy screaming.

“You ARE fucking going to the fucking hospital RIGHT NOW. I don’t care if I have to drag you by your HAIR! DO YOU HEAR ME?” She threatened.

“Mandy, just back the fuck up! I need to rest and then I’ll be fine. Fuck!”

“Bullshit! GET. UP. NOW!” Mandy yelled.

Ian and Ronnie slowly made their way up the steps, not wanting to encroach on the sibling’s discussion; but knowing they would have to help get him to the hospital. Ronnie knocked gently, staying outside.

“They’re here. Now get up or I will make the biggest fucking scene you have ever witnessed. NOW.” She told him.

“Fuck, you can be a bitch, you know that?” Mickey smirked.

“Right back at ya.” She responded, flipping him off before walking to the door to let Ronnie and Ian in.

“He’s getting ready now. RIGHT, MICK?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” He huffed out.

They walked into the room to see Mickey start to stand on his own and Ian leaped forward to grab him before he hit the ground.

“I think you might have vertigo, Mick. You won’t be able to walk without help. Will you let me help you to the car?” Ian asked, trying to avoid another tongue lashing and not the kind that he enjoyed.

“Fine.” Mickey replied, while reluctantly holding his arm out for Ian.

The two men walked slowly through the house then down the front steps, with Ian pretty much doing all the work at that point.

“Fuck, man. Everything is spinning. It’s like the worst night of drinking ever in the history of drinking all the drinks.” Mickey said.

“Yeah, Mick. That definitely sounds like vertigo.” Ian laughed. At least his sense of humor was in tact.

“Fucking wonderful. This shit gonna be permanent?” Mickey asked.

“Nah, shouldn’t be. Typically a side effect that will go away. Just gotta take it easy.” Ian explained.

“Of course.” Mickey said, frustrated as hell.

The doctor confirmed Ian’s suspicion and put Mickey on bed rest for a few days to keep him off of his feet. Mandy offered to stay with him but Ronnie told her he needed someone to help him up if he fell or get him to the bathroom or in and out of the shower and he doubted Mickey would want that to be his sister. Ian offered but he got the same lecture, that he doubted Mickey would want his new boyfriend to see him in this condition.

“M’not his boyfriend. He doesn’t want to be.” Ian responded.

“That’s bullshit and you know it. I’ll stay with Mick.” Ronnie offered.

*****

Having to stay in bed was pissing Mickey off, especially since the vertigo subsided as long as he stayed relatively still. He wanted nothing more than to have his regular life back. He missed his horses.

The only part of his day that he looked forward to was Ian bringing dinner. He did so every night, and would stay until Mickey was ready for bed, giving Ronnie a break.

“Hey you. How ya feeling today?” Ian said, as he entered with a ‘to go’ bag from The Outback.

“I’m feeling a fuck of a sight better now that you’re here. And that bag in your hand is just adding to your appeal.” Mickey responded.

“You just like me for my food.” Ian joked.

“Hey, doesn’t fucking hurt.” Mickey replied.

“I got you a big ass ribeye, loaded baked potato, and a salad with honey mustard. Also got us a dessert to split later.” Ian told him as he unloaded the bag.

“Dessert, huh?” Mickey said, while wiggling his brows at Ian.

“As much as I would love that dessert, I’m afraid I would fuck the vertigo back into your head.” Ian replied, before sticking his tongue out like a five year old.

“You’re an asshole. Tell tell me about this dessert in the bag then.”

“Chocolate Thunder from Down Under.” Ian said excitedly. “It’s a warm brownie with walnuts, topped with vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, and warm chocolate fudge.” 

“Christ, can we eat that first?” Mickey asked.

“Nope. Eat your steak while it’s hot. Got it medium rare, that okay?” Ian questioned.

“Fucking perfect, just like you. How do you do it, man? It’s like you know all of my favorite things without even having to ask me.” Mickey praised.

Ian blushed at the compliment, trying not to overthink it. “Don’t know. Just pick the things that sound like you to me. Just has worked out so far is all.” Ian told him.

“You got some hell of an intuition, Ian.” Mickey said, as Ian placed the dinner in front of him.

“I hope.” Ian replied, as he made his own plate.

After dinner and dessert, they sat on the couch way too close to each other to not be boyfriends. They watched the game that neither of them gave a flying fuck about but pretended to, all the while concentrating on the person next to them.

“I wanted to thank you for all that you’ve done for me. All that you are doing for me, Ian. Never had anyone like you in my life before. It’s nice.” Mickey said sweetly.

“You’re welcome. Same for me. Never really had anyone like you in my life either. I like it.” Ian told him.

Mickey leaned over and Ian met him halfway. 

When their lips met, Ian moved closer to Mickey so he wouldn’t have to turn in an awkward position, and deepened the kiss.

“Fuck, I missed your mouth.” Ian said, as he kissed along Mickey’s jaw line.

“Missed this tongue. Really miss that big cock of yours.” Mickey breathed out.

“Well, you need to get cleared by the doctor before you get to see this cock again.” Ian warned.

“Fucking cock tease.” Mickey whispered, while trying to lick at Ian’s ear.

“I am NOT teasing, trust me. I want it too, Mick. So fucking bad. Want that ass. Fucking miss that taste.” Ian moaned, as Mickey was now assaulting his neck.

“Fuck. Don’t say shit like that, Ian. Got me so fucking hard.” Mickey moaned.

“Just because I can’t fuck you doesn’t mean I can’t get you off.” Ian told him, as he pulled away and slid off the couch.

Once he was on his knees, he opened Mickey’s legs to crawl between them. 

“Gonna suck you off so good, Mick.”

“Fuck, Ian. Please.” Mickey practically begged.

Ian stuck his entire face in Mickey’s jean-clad crotch and nosed at his hardened dick, teasing him for a minute before reaching down to unzip his jeans. He leaned back onto his knees and pulled at Mickey’s jeans and boxers giving Mickey the universal symbol for “sit up so I can get these fucking things off”.

Once his cock was freed, Ian was in heaven. He loved Mickey’s cock - the slightest curve to the right, the girth that makes his jaw ache, and the length which he has to make up for using his hand. But the best part of Mickey’s cock was the taste… no, smell… no, taste. Fuck it. Ian loves it all.

Ian buried his face in his pubes and took a deep breath. “Smell so fucking good, Mick. Should bottle that shit.”

“Look so good down there, Ian.”

Without touching Mickey’s hard dick, Ian ran his tongue gently up and down the shaft. He kept eye contact with those beautiful blue eyes that made him quiver, while making the man above him growl.

Ian sucked in his balls, one at a time, rolling his tongue over each and gently sucking before finally putting his hands on Mickey.

He held Mickey’s cock at the base and licked over his head, getting a taste of heaven. Mickey was fucking delicous. Fuck chocolate thunder from down under. Mickey was his favorite dessert.

Ian made sure to get him nice and wet before stroking him gently, as he dove back into his balls and perineum, tonguing over the area and applying pressure to his prostate from the outside. He knew he hit it when Mickey’s legs started twitching, along with the sinful sound that came out of Mickey’s mouth.

Ian pushed Mickey’s legs further apart and pulled him down so his ass was hanging slightly off of the couch. He continued to stroke him as he tongued his hole.

“Oh, fuck me!” Mickey said in surprise.

“Oh, I will fuck you, Mickey. I plan on fucking you for days once you’re ready”

“Eat me out so fucking good, Ian. Feels amazing.” Mickey panted.

Ian continued licking at Mickey’s hole to loosen him up before he inserted a finger, licking around it until he was ready for his tongue. He both finger and tongue fucked Mickey while he rolled his hand over the tip of Mickey’s cock.

“Ian. Ian. So fucking good.” 

“Mmmmmm.” Was the only response Ian was willing to give because his tongue was busy doing more important things than talking.

After enjoying eating Mickey’s ass, Ian withdrew his tongue then quickly replaced it with another finger, immediately crooking them both to find Mickey’s prostate. Mickey jumped and moaned loudly indicating that Ian had found the spot.

Ian undid his own jeans and pulled out his leaking cock so he could work himself while he worked Mickey. “How can you taste this good?” Ian questioned.

“Bet we taste really good together.” Mickey groaned.

Ian swiped his thumb over his own leaking cock then over Mickey’s, to gather as much precome as he could. He stuck his tongue out and wiped the salty treat on his tongue.

Mickey was ready to attack him and pulled him in for a kiss so they could taste each other. They ravaged each other’s mouth, loving the taste of them combined. Ian gently withdrew his fingers from Mickey’s ass then started to jerk him off, concentrating on rolling his palm over the head of Mickey’s cock. Mickey grabbed Ian and started to do the same as they kissed, like it was their last day on earth and both of them would be happy if this was how they were going out.

“Mmmmm, so fucking delicious.” Mickey said into Ian’s mouth.

“M’close.” Ian said back.

“Me too.” Mickey replied.

Mickey grabbed Ian’s cock and started to rub the head against his own while continuing to stroke him.

“Fuck, Mick. Just like that.” Ian breathed out.

“Perfect fucking cock. Perfect mouth.” Mickey replied.

“Gonna, Mick. Almost there.” Ian panted.

“Me, too. Come on me, Ian. Come on my cock.” Mickey pleaded.

“Mickey, fuck! Mick.” Ian cried, as he came all over Mickey’s dick and stomach. 

Seconds later Mickey was moaning loudly and doing the same, covering Ian in the same way. 

Ian had his head resting on Mickey’s shoulder while his was dropped back on the couch. They stayed in that position until they could both catch their breath.

“Stay.” Mickey whispered.

“Mick, we can’t… you’re not ready. Don’t wanna hurt you.”

“No. We don’t have to do anything. Just sleep with me. Please, Ian.” Mickey begged, and Ian was not going to turn that down.

“Okay, Mick. Wanna text Ronnie and let him know he doesn’t have to come down?” Ian questioned.

“Yeah. Can you hand me my phone?” 

Ian leaned over and handed Mickey his phone. While Mick made the call, Ian got up to grab some paper towels. He warmed the water then wet them before cleaning himself up, then grabbed some more to do the same to Mickey. 

“Thanks. And thanks for staying.” Mickey told him.

“You’re welcome. Ready for bed? I’m pretty exhausted after that.” Ian said honestly.

“Yeah, me too. Come on.” Mickey said, and Ian reached his arms out to help Mickey off the couch.

Once they were settled and in bed, Ian couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of serenity. The moon was full and lit the bedroom, perfectly reflecting off of the beautiful man next to him.

“Hey, Mick?” Ian said, as he rolled over to spoon Mickey, draping his arm over his waist.

“Yeah?” 

“I like you. A lot.” 

“Hey, Ian?”

“Yeah?

“I like you a lot, too.”

“G’night, Mick.”

“Good night, Ian.” Mickey replied. 

Sleep came easily for both men, who felt like they were home in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our baby is awake! Going to give you some Gallavich love for a bit before I hit you with the one, two punch so enjoy!!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! xo
> 
> And thank you to those who leave kudos and comments because you are the reason I write. Feedback is amazing and so much appreciated!!


	8. Like a Hobo on a Hotdog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry's back. Nuff said.

*****

Ian spent the next couple of weeks helping Mickey with his recovery. Their relationship was developing into an amorous friendship while Ian was staying with him, giving Ronnie and Mandy a reprieve from having to spend the night, and the boys relationship a chance to develop.

Mickey was still suffering from intermittent bouts of vertigo but for the most part, he was feeling better and it would pass pretty quickly with meds and rest. His bones were healing and he was becoming more mobile and independent.. They still wouldn’t let him around the horses due to his dizziness which could be exacerbated by movement but he would get there soon.

He spent his days hanging around the vet office talking and laughing with Ian and making his rounds on the farm which included driving Mandy insane with practical jokes. He would go crazy if he didn’t have anything to do so Mandy let him slide, most of the time. To make things worse, Terry was coming home the following day and would be there for three full fucking weeks.

Ian was not thrilled about that development and knew it would impact his and Mickey’s newly budding relationship. He figured he would be back to staying at his own place once the biggoted asshole returned and he was bummed and kinda pissed off.

It was the end of the day and Ian was heading to Mickey’s place. They had plans to go out for dinner then binge watch Netflix and Ian couldn’t wait to spend this last night together before they were forced apart for almost a friggin month. He packed his shit and threw it in his car, then headed down the familia dirt road towards the man he was fucking crazy about. If he got butterflies in his stomach, that was nobody's damned business but his own, but he totally did.

As he approached the house, he could see Mickey sitting out front on his porch having a smoke. He parked his car in his now claimed spot and grabbed his bag, eagerly heading for the steps to greet his man.

“Hey Doc. How was the rest of your day?” Mickey asked with a smirk.

“Would have been better if you had hung around, but not so bad. How about you? What did you get into?” Ian asked with a smile as he pulled him in by his hips and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

“Hung out with Mandy and Uncle Ronnie for a bit. Went to check on the horses, talked to my guys, that kinda shit. Going a little fucking crazy here, man.” He returned.

“You hungry? I could eat the ass out of a rag doll right now.” Ian replied.

“A rag doll, huh? I got something much better for you to eat, ya know?” Mickey said with his infamous quirked eyebrow.

“Not until you’re better. I told you, when we do fuck, I want to be able to rock your world, not throw you into a vertigo spell.” Ian said, as he brushed a stray hair from Mickey’s forehead and leaned in for another kiss.

“And I told you, I’m fine!” Mickey said clearly irritated.

“Once you can go one whole week without a spell, we will talk. Gonna throw my shit inside then we can head out. We doing Earl’s again?” Ian replied.

“Fuck yeah! Half price burger and wing bar tonight, man. Been thinking about it all day. Fucker makes the best wings and I plan on makin’ ‘em my bitch.” Mickey told him.

“I got something else that you could make your bitch.” Ian winked before heading into the house to drop his bag.

“Fuckin’ love to but someone won’t let me ride what I really want to get on.” Mickey yelled.

Once they arrived at the restaurant and found a table, they were all over the wing buffet like a hobo on a hotdog.

“You got a little sauce of your face.” Ian said, reaching to wipe it with his finger and causing Mickey to jolt back.

“Shit, sorry. It’s just Terry comes here when he’s in town and I don’t need them telling him they saw his fairy son.” Mickey apologized.

“Sorry, Mick. I wasn’t thinking.” Ian said softly.

“No. It’s not you. It’s fucking Terry, Ian. I wish we could be like that in public. Just can’t happen.” He told him.

“Yeah, I know. Sucks, but I know.” He said sadly.

“Can’t believe that mother fucker is going to be here for three whole goddamned weeks. Uncle Ronnie does a good job keeping him away. I swear he prefers it, too. Probably has a whole other family he can abuse too out there..” Mickey joked.

“So, I guess this will be our last night together for a while then, huh?” Ian asked.

“Not necessarily. I can stay at your place. Just gotta drive separate.”

“Yeah, not happening until you’re over your spells.”

“Fuck, fine. I’ll take an Uber if I need to.”

“God bless Uber.”

Their burgers came and they finished them in a comfortable silence, just enjoying being in each other’s presence. Once they were finished, they settled up to head back to Mickey’s place to enjoy their last Terry-free night together.

*****

“Who the fuck is banging on the fucking door this early? I am going to kick someone’s ass.” Mickey said, as he got out of bed and threw on his sweatpants, leaving Ian in bed half asleep.

“I’m fucking coming! Someone better be fucking dead!” Mickey yelled, as he stomped across the floor to the door.

He flung it open and his heart dropped. Standing in front of him was Terry and a very apologetic looking Ronnie.

“Rise and shine, asshole. What are you doing sleeping in so fucking late?” Terry questioned, as he pushed his way inside.

“Fucking late? It’s 7:00am.” Mickey replied, giving Ronnie a look of fear when Terry passed.

“Checking to see how the fuck you’re feeling. Still not ready to get back to work, huh?” Terry asked, as he opened the fridge to grab the orange juice which he drank directly from the container.

“Not yet. Doctor doesn’t want me training until the dizzy spells pass.” Mickey told him.

“Hey, Mick. I think I left my phone charger in your room when I stayed here the other night. Mind if I check?” Ronnie asked.

“Sure thing.” Mickey replied, thankful for his uncle right now.

“Dizzy spells? You get a little dizzy and can’t come to work? Look fine to me.” Terry spat.

“Yeah, well the doctor seems to disagree. Nothing I want more than to get the fuck back to work. Think I like not having something to do every day?” Mickey said, as he made his way to the cupboard to make coffee which was really an excuse to hide his face and keep his hands busy.

“Fuck the doctor. The fuck does he know. You should be up there training, not jerking off down here all fucking day.” Terry shot back.

“Not in there, Mick. Have to check my truck again.” Ronnie said, giving Mickey a little nod.

“Whose fucking car is that out there? You got some rich broad in here with you? Okay to get some pussy but can’t work?” Terry continued with his badgering.

“Nobody is fucking here. It’s Ian’s car. He wanted me to take a look at it for him. Making some kinda noise. Left it here for me to check it out so I don’t go fucking nuts.” Mickey told him.

“The fuck ever. Gonna head up to the barn and check out the new horses. Guess there hasn’t been any progress with your ass down here all day.” Terry said, setting the OJ back on the counter before padding over to the door in all of his hatefulness.

“Maybe you could train them today. Dust off your training skills.” Mickey said nastily.

“Then what the fuck am I paying you for, huh?” He replied, before throwing the front screen door open, causing it to shut loudly.

“Thanks, Uncle Ronnie. Gotta figure out how to get Ian the fuck outta here now.”

“I’ll take him out to breakfast. Shoot you a text once we are off the property.” Ronnie told him.

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Course, kiddo. Sorry about the surprise visit.”

“No problem. I know how Terry can be.”

“Yeah. I know you do. Later, kid.”

“Later, Uncle Ronnie.”

Mickey closed and locked the door as an extra precaution, before taking a few deep breaths before heading into the bedroom with two cups of coffee.

“You okay?” Ian asked.

“Fine. Almost shit my pants if I’m being honest here, but other than that, living the fucking dream.” Mickey said, as he handed Ian his cup, then sat down gently on the bed next to him.

“Thanks, Mick. Your dad is a fucking asshole, man. I wanted to come out there a couple of times and punch him deadass in his face.”

“Know the feeling. Glad you didn’t though. Terry’s a fucking force, man. He gets this red rage and there is no stopping him. He’s like a fucking bull that’s been kicked.”

“Shit. It’s my fucking adoptive father. Gotta get this because he never fucking calls unless something’s up.” Ian apologized as he picked up his ringing phone.

“Yeah, Dad. What’s up?” Ian said in a monotone voice, rolling his eyes at Mickey.

“What the fuck happened?” Ian said in a panic.

“Ahhh, I see. Your gay son to the rescue then. Can’t you just fucking apologize for fuck sake, Dad?” Ian asked.

“Fuck, fine. Yeah, I’ll come by. This isn’t going to make the news is it?” He asked.

“Fine. I’ll be over around noon.” Ian said, before hanging up.

“The fuck was that about, man?” Mickey questioned.

“He fucking pissed off this LGBT group who is threatening to go public with a video of him making a gay slur. Lovely, right? Fucking gay slur with a fucking gay son. Our dads should start a fucking club or some shit. They could have competitions for the worst father of the year.” Ian told him.

“The fuck he need you for?”

“Because he wants to introduce his gay son to the group and thinks that will make it all better. I get to talk about how incredible and accepting my father has been. Get to do his damage control for the bastard.” Ian explained.

“Fucking ridiculous. We sure hit the homophobic parent lottery, didn’t we?”

“Yeah we fucking did.” Ian agreed.

*****

“Jesus Christ. Did you see the news, Mick?” Mandy said with a shaky voice as she flew into Mickey’s house to turn on the TV.

“No. The fuck is going on?” He questioned, as he sat next to her on the couch while she frantically punched the channel into the remote.

“It’s Ian and his dad at some gay pride event. His dad just outed him on TV. Terry is going to fucking fly off the handle when he sees this shit.” Mandy told him.

“Fuck! He talked to his piece of shit father this morning. He told him there would be no press. Goddammit. What the fuck are we going to do, Mands?” Mickey questioned, in total panic.

“Let me call Uncle Ronnie. See what he thinks.” Mandy replied.

Mickey paced the floor while Mandy made the call while thinking about the 100 fucked up different ways Terry could react to this news.

“He’s coming down here now.” She said as they both waited in silence for their uncle.

“Now what the fuck happened?” Ronnie asked as soon as he opened the front door.

“Ian’s father just outed him on TV.” Mandy replied.

“Oh, you have got to be fucking joking with me. Perfect fucking timing, too.” He replied looking just as sick as the sibling and like he had no answers at all.

“Terry is gonna to tell you to fire him, you know?” Mickey told him.

“Yeah, no shit. Maybe I can threaten him with Ian’s father or some shit. Tell him it would be bad press.” Ronnie replied.

“Yeah, so he’ll just make you find another reason to let him go.” Mandy sighed loudly.

“Yeah. I don’t know what the fuck we’ll do to be honest.” Ronnie said, looking at his ringing phone. “Fuck, that’s Terry.”

“Terry, what’s up?” Ronnie answered.

Mandy and Mickey could hear Terry’s voice over the phone and listened to every word in sheer disgust and fear for Ian.  
“We got a fucking queerbo vet working for us, huh? Did you fucking know he was a faggot? You know he’s gotta go! I won’t have any pillow biting pole smoker on my fucking payroll, Ronnie! Take fucking care of it!” He shouted, before hanging up.

“Fuck.” Ronnie said, as the three sat down to try to figure this shit out.

About that time, Mickey’s phone started ringing too. “It’s Ian.” Mickey said, while grabbing his phone and walking into the other room.

“Hey, Mick.”

“Hey, Ian. Shit. I saw the news.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe he set me up like that. Outed me like it was nothing.”

“Terry saw it, too.” Mickey explained.

“I figured it would happen sooner or later. He want me gone?” Ian asked.

“Pretty much. But we’ll figure something out, Ian.”

“It’s okay, Mick. I don’t want to put you and Ronnie in that position. I’ll just swing by to grab my shit.”

“No, Ian. It’s not fucking right.”

“I didn’t say it was but we’ve got no other options. I’ll be there in twenty.” Ian said, before disconnecting the call.

Mickey felt sick at his stomach and there was not a fucking thing he could do about it right now.

“Ian will be here in twenty to pick up his things. He’s leaving.” Mickey said, as he rubbed his eyes, trying to let what just happened in the last thirty minutes sink in properly.

“I’m so sorry, Mick.” Mandy said sincerely.

“Yeah. Me, too. Listen, not feeling so great. Gonna lay down for a bit.” Mickey told them, before heading to his room and closing the door.

*****

Mandy and Ronnie met back up at the Vet office to talk before Ian got there. Mandy was visibly upset and Ronnie’s heart just broke for Mickey. He never ever put himself out there and he had been through so much shit, not to mention the recent accident. He was fucking pissed off but his hands were tied for now.

“My heart is breaking for my brother and I can’t do anything to help him. Do you know how hard that is to not be able to do anything to take away his pain? And all of our problems come from the same fucking person. Our entire lives have been this way. Fucking Terry.” Mandy said, with heavy unfallen tears in her eyes.

“I know, Mands. I wish to fuck I could do something for him. For both of you. I try Mandy, I really, really do. My hands are tied here. Short of killing him, I don’t know what to do.” Ronnie told her.

Ian walked in at the tail end of Ronnie’s words looking like the rest of them felt. He made eye contact but quickly looked away as he felt himself retreating back into his safe place where nobody could hurt him. Back into his shell where he was alone and couldn't be crushed or cause anyone any pain.

He headed straight for his desk to grab a few personal effects and his bag of personal equipment. He knew he would have to say something before walking out the door to get into his car so he could leave before having a breakdown about the day from hell courtesy of the fathers of the year.

“Ian. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say. Mick is really upset. You should talk to him.” Mandy told him.

“S’okay. Not gonna get him in trouble by going down there. Best if I just leave.” Ian said, not looking up.

“Ian, please use me as a reference. Let me give you some numbers. I know a lot of people in the field that could hook you up with a job.” Ronnie offered.

“It’s okay. I called the vet hospital where I interviewed before I got this position. They made me an offer but I turned it down to work here. Luckily, the position is still open and they’re letting me take it. I’ll start next week.” Ian said.

“If you ever need anything, please let us know.” Mandy told him.

“Thanks. Appreciate it. Tell Mick I said goodbye. Hope the vertigo passes soon so he can get back to training.” Ian told them, before hastily making his way to the door.

“Well, fuck. He looks just as bad, if not worse than Mick.” Mandy said sadly.

Ian pulled off onto the main road, trying not to think about what he was really leaving behind. Jobs are replaceable, but he knew the man would not be.

*****

Ian went to the one place where he felt safe and knew that he could let out his feelings comfortably.

Ian told Maria everything, not leaving out one detail. She was the one person he trusted unequivocally and he knew she would be able to talk to him and help to ease some of the pain he was feeling.

“Honey, he is a bigot, a homophobe, a bully, and so many other things that I don’t want to say out loud. Please don’t let that man steal your happiness. You deserve so much, baby. So much.” She told her son with an ache in her chest.

“Thanks, Ma. I know you’re right but believe me when I tell you, this man is capable of the unthinkable and I don’t want Mickey to get caught in the crossfire. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him because of me.” He told her.

“Don’t underestimate the power of love, baby. Let Mickey make his own decision. You two are smart boys, you’ll figure it out.”

“I still can’t believe Dad did that today. I mean, I can but I can’t believe that he did that after I asked him. I can’t win, Ma. You are the only good thing in my life.”

“That will change, my sweetheart. Good things are coming. Trust me.” She told her son, as she kissed his temple and gave him a good squeeze.

Ian stayed there while his mother made him his favorite cookies and they had tea together on the front porch before he left to go home and fall into bed.

*****

“That faggot off my property?” Terry asked when he walked into Mandy’s office and saw Mickey and Ronnie sitting at her desk.

Mandy audibly winced and Mickey’s face dropped. Ronnie wanted to take the chair he was sitting on and knock Terry into his next fucking miserbable ass life.

“Yeah, Ian is gone Terry. He left on his own.” Ronnie told him.

“Good. Don’t want any queers around here. Fucking fudge-packers are not welcome. Remember that the next time you try to hire one.” He said, looking directly at Mickey, making his stomach hurt.

“That boy was hanging around your place, Mick? Some of the boys were talking about him helping you get around. That all he was doing?” Terry spit.

“Leave Mick the fuck alone, alright. Ian was nothing but nice and helpful. There was nothing going on. Gay men don’t hit on all men just because they are gay, Dad!” Mandy hollered.

“You watch your mouth, you hear me? I didn’t ask you anything, girl. I asked your brother. Funny, I have never seen a girl around here. That it, Mickey? You like boys?” Terry snarled.

“Enough, Terry! What the fuck is your problem? Ian is gone. Leave Mick alone. Kid’s still not feeling well.” Ronnie hollered.

“If I find out you like boys you are a dead man, you hear me? I will dump you in a fucking well in a minute without giving it a second thought. And get your ass back to work and stop being so fucking useless.” Terry said, before swinging the door open and leaving.

Mickey was shaking in his seat from a combination from fear and anger. Mainly anger at the moment. He had so much he wanted to say to his father but words did not want to come out of his mouth. He got up to walk back to his house but only made it as far as the front door before he passed out.

“MICK! Mickey!!! Are you okay?” Mandy asked, as her uncle helped him back on his feet.

“Yeah. Fucking dizzy as shit. Gotta lay down. Need my medication.” He told her.

“I got you, Mick. Mandy, get the door to my truck.”

They got Mickey settled into bed after taking his meds. Mandy insisted on staying to keep an eye on her brother while Ronnie headed back up to his office to fill the newly opened vet position.

*****

“Hello?” Mickey said in half a drug haze as he answered his phone.

“Mick? It’s Ian.”

“Ian. You okay?”

“Yeah. You sound tired. Should I let you go?”

“Nah, had an episode. It’s the medication. Makes me loopy.”

“Shit. Are you okay?”

“No, Ian. I’m not okay. Listen, I’m really sorry this happened. Feel like shit.”

“Not your fault, Mick.”

“Might as well be.”

“Don’t say that. We can’t let Terry ruin what we have, Mick.”

“What do we have, Ian? You think I will ever be able to live freely? Terry already thinks I’m a fag. Made it pretty clear today that if I am, he will kill me. Doesn’t leave us with a lot of options, does it now?”

“So, that’s it? Just like that? You’re gonna let Terry win.” Ian asked sadly.

“Yeah, Ian. Just like that. Best this way. I won’t be able to live my life until he’s dead and it doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. Christ, he’ll probably outlive me.”

“Are you really sure this is what you want, Mick?.”

There was silence for a minute before Mickey could bring himself to answer that question.

“Yeah. It’s for the best, Ian. I’m sorry.” Mickey said sadly.

“Me, too.” Ian replied.

“Take care of yourself, Ian.” Mickey said, before disconnecting the call.

*****

“Mick’s back to work today. Hasn’t had an episode in two weeks.” Mandy told Ronnie.

“I was hoping he would take a few more days off. At least until Terry leaves. I really don’t want him around that fucking prick right now.”

“Yeah, me neither. Has he said anything to you about Ian?” Mandy asked.

“Not a word, and I really don’t want to ask him either. Figured you would.”

“I overheard them talking the day all that shit went down. Sounded like Mickey broke up with him because of Terry. I asked him but he just shot me the death glare.” Mandy explained.

“The fuck you just say? Mickey broke up with who? Ian?” Terry asked, as he stood in the doorway breathing like a raging bull.

“No! They were friends, that’s all. He just told him not to come around here anymore.” Mandy said, trying to cover for Mickey.

“You better be fucking telling me the truth! Let me find out that little prick is a faggot.” Terry bellowed.

“Jesus, Dad. Mick is not gay! He’s dating one of my friends. Would you just back off of him?” Mandy said, hoping she could get to her brother before Terry did.

“One of your friends, huh?.” Terry said with an evil grin before storming off.

Mandy called Mickey’s office but it just rang and rang. She tried his cell but got no response there either. She texted him and called multiple times in a panic. Ronnie ran out of the office to head over to the training area to try to tell Mick about the conversation so it wouldn’t be a surprise.

“I hear you’re getting some pussy, Mickey. How come you didn’t tell me about her?” Terry questioned slyly.

“What the fuck are you talking about? I’m not seeing anyone. Have you seen anyone around here?” Mickey answered annoyed as fuck and wondering what his father was up to now.

“Other than the faggot, no.” Terry responded before walking away.

Mickey had a sinking feeling in his gut. He pulled out his phone to see missed calls and texts. He looked up to see his Uncle heading towards him in a panic, just as Terry walked by him without making eye contact. This was not good.

Randy told Mickey discreetly about what just went down.

“The fuck? If she’s gonna make up some shit, would be good if she told me first.”

“She didn’t have a choice, Mick. Her hands were tied in there.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure he fucking knows something is up now.” Mickey said, then bit at his bottom lip, a sure sign of worry.

“Yeah. Fuck. I think you’re right. I’m staying at your place tonight.”

“I’m not going to say no to that offer.”

“Wouldn’t let you.” Ronnie said.

*****

Ian missed Mickey. He was starting to get comfortable with his new team but something was missing from his life. Now that he knew Mickey existed, he was not the same person. He knew he would always miss Mickey.

He tried and tried repeatedly to push the emptiness aside and focus on his work and health. He started running again and going to the gym regularly. He needed an outlet to rid himself of these feelings that he was bottling up.

He was leaving the gym later than usual due to a heavy workload today. He walked to his car and noticed the parking lot was almost empty, save a few stragglers. It was packed when he got there and he hadn’t realized how long he had been working out. He started his car and headed home to shower and go the fuck to bed. He had another long day ahead of him.

He parked in his assigned spot in the garage and grabbed his workout bag out of the trunk. He felt chills up his spine and new he was not alone. The last thing he heard was footsteps before everything went black.

*****

“Dead Heat Stables. How can I help you today?” Mandy answered cheerfully.

“I’m looking for Mickey. Is he available, please?” The woman asked.

“He’s training right now. May I take a message?”

“It’s urgent. My son didn’t make it to work today and didn’t let them know. I wanted to know if Mickey has heard from him.” She said, her voice wavering.

“Ian?” Mandy questioned.

“Yes! Have you seen him?”

“No. I haven’t seen him since he left. Let me call Mickey. Can you hold just one minute, please?”

“Yes, I’ll wait.” Maria said with fear clearly in her voice.

After a couple minutes, Mandy returned to the call from Maria. “Mickey said he hasn’t seen him but he’s headed up here now. He wants to talk to you. Can you wait just a few minutes?”

“Yes, I can wait.” Maria agreed.

“The fuck, Mandy! How long has he been missing?” Mickey questioned, in a panic.

“I have no idea. Ask her.” Mandy said, handing the phone to Mickey and taking her off of hold.

“Mickey speaking.”

“Hi, Mickey. I am Maria, Ian’s mother. I got a call from his new employer that he didn’t show up this morning. I called him and he isn’t answering. I thought maybe he was with you.”

“No. I haven’t talked to him. Have you gone to his apartment?” Mickey asked.

“Not yet, no. I am going now.”

“I’ll meet you there.” Mickey said before rushing to his truck to head to Ian’s.

He made it in record time, luckily avoiding a ticket while breaking every speed limit on the way.

When Mickey arrived, he parked in the guest parking area but walked around to see if he could find Ian’s car. When he did, he sighed in relief. For good measure, he looked in Ian’s car and walked around it and noticed what looked to be blood splotches and froze for a minute before gathering himself again. He started walking around the lot frantically, seeing if he could find him now, worried that something bad really did happen. He ran to the elevator to check his apartment.

He paced in the elevator nervously, until it reached the fourth floor. He ran out when it opened, and headed towards Ian’s apartment. There was bloody fingerprints on the door knob and his heart sank. He pulled his sleeve down to cover his hand before checking to see if it was unlocked and thank fuck, it was open.

He followed the blood trail, as his own blood started to run cold, heart hammering in his chest. If he was going to find something horrible, he just hoped Ian’s mother was running late. He didn’t want her to see what he feared she might.

He opened a door which lead to Ian’s bedroom to find a still body on the bed. Mickey’s hands were shaking now and he walked around the bed to the side where he could see Ian’s face. He was covered in blood and badly beaten. His eye was swollen shut and his nose was definitely broken. He had a large blood stain on his sweater which made Mickey sick with worry.

“Ian. Ian, baby?” Mickey asked as he sat on the bed softly.

“Ian, I’m here. It’s Mickey.” He continued, as he checked Ian’s pulse and thank fucking God, he still had one.

“Ian, wake up. Please wake up.” Mickey pleaded rubbing him gently.

Ian started to moan from the pain and Mickey was never so happy to hear a noise in his entire life.

“Ian, It’s Mickey. Baby, what happened?” He asked.

“Mick?”

“Yes, it’s Mickey. I’m calling 911. Hang in there, Ian. You’re going to be fine.” He said shakily, hoping he was right.

Mickey made the call and the ambulance arrived at the same time as Maria who went into full on mother panic mode.

“Ian, baby! What happened?? Are you okay? Oh my god, what happened to my baby!?” Maria questioned hysterically pushing her way to her son.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry. We need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible. We need you to move, please.” The paramedic said, trying to coax Maria into moving. She was obviously in shock.

Mickey moved forward to get her out of the way just when Ian’s eyes blinked open again.

“Ma.” Ian said, right before his world went black again.

“Ian!” She cried as she watched her son be wheeled off.

Mickey held onto her tightly so they could get him into the elevator and off to the hospital. Mickey wasn’t sure how bad his injuries were but he knew he needed to be looked at STAT.

“It’s okay, Maria. He’ll be okay.” He assured while she just cried and looked down the hall.

“Come on. You drive with me.” He told her as he wrapped his arms around her helping her out of the apartment.

“Who would do this to him?” She said more as a statement, more than a question, still in disbelief.

“I’ll find out, I promise you. Ane when I do, the son of a bitch is dead.” Mickey said through gritted teeth.

“Is it who I think it is?” She said finally making eye contact.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think it is.” Mickey replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was up in the air about this chapter and almost went in a totally different direction. I hope it was the right choice and you guys aren't pissed at me for this one.


	9. What happens at Pegasus, stays at Pegasus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria and Mickey get an update on Ian's condition and Mickey travels to the Pegasus World Cup race in Miami.

*****

When Maria and Mickey arrive at the hospital they walk hurriedly to the desk to find out Ian’s status only to be told that he is in surgery and that the ER doctor who treated him upon arrival would be with them shortly. Maria was frantic as was Mickey and he felt an overwhelming need to comfort her. Ian talked about his mother quite a bit and Mickey felt protective of her based on what he told him.

“Maria, can I get you some coffee or water? Is there anything you need?” Mickey asks to try to distract her.

“No, no. Thank you but no. I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down right now, honey.” She answered.

They were both brought out of their current state when they heard someone approach asking if they were Ian’s family. Maria told him she was his mother.

“Ian arrived in the ER with facial and arm lacerations, all of which did not break through the soft tissue into the stronger tissue and missed any blood vessels and nerves. He did however, have a deep stab wound in his abdomen and that is what they are working on repairing now. We didn’t have time to x-ray him before he was brought to the OR but I think it’s safe to say that he has a few broken ribs and his nose is most definitely broken.” The doctor paused for questions.

“Did the knife hit anything? Is he going to live?” Maria choked out while Mickey stood frozen.

“They won’t know until they can perform a diagnostic laparoscopy in order to determine if there was damage to any organs.” He told them.

“How long will it take?” Mickey questioned.

“Hard to tell. It depends on the extent of the injuries. We will keep you posted on the progress of the operation.” He promised.

Maria just nodded and sat down slowly to open her purse. She was nervously fishing around for something until she pulled out a small pack of tissues to wipe her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Maria. Ian is so strong. He will pull through this.” Mickey said, trying to comfort her.

“I pray you’re right. He is my everything. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to him.” She said, before heavy tears fell from her eyes.

They mainly sat in silence, neither of them having the strength to make small talk while Ian was fighting for his life. After two and a half hours they finally received an update.

“Ian had three lacerations on the surface of the liver which required suture closure. He also suffered from a perforation of the anterior surface of the stomach which was able to be closed and should pose no long term issues. They are closing him up now. He did very well and all of his stats look very good. He does have two broken ribs as well as a broken nose which pose no life threatening complications. You should be able to see him in an hour or two.” The ER nurse informed them.

“Thank you so much. Thank you.” Maria said, finally exhaling a breath that Mickey was sure she was holding through the entire update.

Mickey felt relief first, then anger. He could function now that he knew Ian would be okay and now all he could think about was revenge.

“Mickey, would you like to walk to the cafe and get a coffee with me? Maybe a sandwich?” Maria asked, looking hopeful.

“Absolutely. We can get to know each other a little bit while they are fixing Ian up and getting him comfortable in his room.” He told her.

“Perfect. We have a lot to talk about, Mickey.” She told him, and Mickey couldn’t agree more.

*****

They were brought up to Ian’s room and Maria walked in first, making her way as fast as she could to Ian.

“Ian. My baby. Are you okay?” She asked.

“Hi Ma. Yeah, I’m okay. Don’t feel any pain right now. Got me pretty drugged up. Hi, Mickey.” Ian replied, noticing Mickey standing behind her.

“Hey you. You gave us a scare.” Mickey told him.

“I owed you one.” Ian smiled with heavy eyes.

“I’m gonna leave you here with your Mother. I have to go give Mandy and Ronnie an update. They’re really worried about you. You get some rest, okay?” Mickey told him.

“K, Mick.” He replied, and watched as Mickey leaned down to kiss Maria on her cheek and give her a squeeze.

“Call me if you need anything, okay?” He told her.

“Of course. Remember our deal.” She told him.

Mickey glanced over at Ian, taking him in before turning and walking out the door.

“What deal?” Ian asked.

“He’s going to take me riding, honey. Why don’t you shut your eyes and get some rest? I will be here with you but I have to call your parents.” She told him.

“Not my parents, Ma.” He told her, before falling asleep.

*****

Mickey decided to wait until he got home to talk to Mandy and Ronnie, not wanting to have this conversation while he was driving. He needed some quiet time to reflect on what happened and what was going to happen.

He pulled into his spot and walked over to Mandy’s office. He saw both her and Ronnie’s cars, so he figured he could kill two birds with one stone.

He opted for a smoke before going in. He leaned against the wall, enjoying the sensation of nicotine running through his body and calming his nerves. He could hear them talking but couldn’t make out much of what they were saying. He threw the cigarette butt on the ground then made his way to the door, just as he heard Mandy say “We can’t tell Mickey” which got his attention pretty fucking quickly.

“Can’t tell me what?” He asked, as he watched a very startled Mandy and Ronnie jump in surprise.

Mandy looked at Ronnie hoping for some help to get out of this one, but he remained silent.

“Mick, it’s a surprise, okay? You’ll find out soon enough. How is Ian?” She asked, trying to divert the topic and get out of this mess.

“He’s doing okay. Had some lacerations, gots some broken ribs, a broken nose, and some cuts on his liver and stomach which they were able to repair, thank fuck.”

“Thank God. Is Maria okay?” She asked.

“As best as you would expect for a women who had to sit and think she lost her son for several hours. She’s with him now. I’m sure they won’t be able to pry her out of the room with a crowbar.” He told them.

“So what do you think happened?” Mandy questioned.

“I think Terry had someone fag bash him. Send a message to me.” He told them.

“I wish I could disagree with you, Mick, but I think you’re right.” Ronnie said sadly.

“Fucking piece of shit.” Mandy added.

“He will get his.” Mickey replied.

“Yeah, he sure fucking will.” Ronnie replied.

“Gonna head home. I’m fucking exhausted. I’ll be in late tomorrow, too. Tell Terry I said ‘fuck you’ if he has a problem with it.” Mickey told them both.

“Are you going to go see Ian in the morning?” Mandy asked her brother.

“No, Mands. We’re done. This happened because of me. I will not risk him getting hurt again. No fucking way.” He told her.

“Mick.” Mandy replied.

“Don’t Mick me, Mands. It’s the way it’s gotta be.” He said, before telling them both goodnight and heading back to his truck to go home.

*****

Mickey managed to avoid Terry before he was off again, which was fucking fine by him. If he saw him, he would not be able to control himself now and he had to be smart about what he needed to do.

He spent most of his time in his office trying to catch up before heading back out with the horses. He needed a distraction and paperwork would do it.

He also had a big event coming up and needed to start making preparations and letting Mandy know their travel, accommodation, and transportation needs. The purse was the biggest of the year and he needed to get his head back in the game.

He spent the next couple of weeks training and meeting with the team. They were at the track almost every day, making runs and checking times. He spent the rest of his time devising a plan to take care of Terry once and for all.

Ian had sent him texts every day until last Friday, when they finally stopped. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or made it worse. He missed Ian. He was pretty sure he was falling in love with Ian, and because of that, he could not risk his well being.

Mandy and Ronnie had been spending a lot of time together as well, coming up with a plan of their own. They wanted to make Terry pay for what he had done to Ian, for what he did to all of them. He was going to rot in hell as far as they were concerned.

The farm was running well without Terry in town. It always did. They found a good routine and everyone was getting excited about the Pegasus World Cup in Florida. It was bittersweet for Mickey, since the last time he was in Florida he had been with Ian. Mickey had plans to take the trash out after the event.

*****

Ian had woken up the day after his surgery with his mother at his side. She had been sleeping in an uncomfortable chair and Ian couldn’t help but feel guilty.

“Ma?” Ian said, trying to get his mother to wake up so he could send her home for a proper rest.

“Baby. You’re up. How are you feeling today?” She asked with a smile on her face from hearing her son’s voice.

“Can I have some water?” He said, needing to quench his thirst before talking.

Maria jumped up and grabbed the pitcher and cup then got a straw. She held it up to Ian’s lips so he could take a sip. She used her other hand to rub the unharmed side of his face gently.

“I feel okay today. Sore. You shouldn’t have stayed all night. You could have gone home and gotten some rest.” He told her.

“Jesus Christ himself would not have been able to get me to leave this room, Ian.” She told him, causing him to smile widely.

“I love you.” He told her.

“I love you more.” She responded.

“Have your heard from Mickey? Did he say he’d be back today?” He asked hopefully.

“I’m sure he’ll try to get here, baby.” She told him.

After a few days in the hospital Ian was getting restless and couldn’t believe that he hadn’t heard from Mickey. How could he not even check up on him to make sure he was doing okay? He finally got his mother to give him his phone and he started to text Mickey.

His first text asked him if everything was alright because he simply refused to believe that Mickey would just abandon him like that for no good reason. He made it a whole two hours before just picking up the phone, which went to his voicemail.

He was distracted for a bit by the visit from his adoptive parents, who just asked him clinical questions, pretending poorly that they actually gave a shit. Once they left, his mind returned to Mickey. He wasn’t quite sure yet if he was hurt or pissed, so he sent him a passive aggressive text telling him he was doing better if he actually gave a shit.

He busied himself for the rest of the day watching Netflix on his iPad. He was being released the following day, so at least he could get back into a routine.

When he woke up the next day, he checked his phone immediately and he couldn’t help but feel a little devastated that he heard nothing yet again from Mickey.

He decided to fuck it and just say what’s on his mind.

Mick, I’m worried about you. I don’t think you would just fuck off without a word and not at least check that I am doing okay. Is everything okay? Did something happen?

His doctor came in to give him the details of his release, just as Maria entered the room.

“You get to go home today. Are you happy to be getting out of here?” His mother asked with a smile.

“Yes. I can’t wait to take a shower and sleep in my own bed.” He told her.

“Oh, no, no, no. You will be coming home with me for a few days. You aren’t going back to work until next week and I want to keep an eye on you, to make sure you’re following the doctor's instructions and not overdoing it.” She told him.

“I’m not even going to argue because I don’t stand a chance.” He smiled.

“My boy is so smart”. She laughed

The doctor informed them both that he could leave at noon, once his paperwork was completed. In the meantime, Maria went down to the cafe to get them both breakfast sandwiches and a cup of coffee.

When she returned with the food, she couldn’t help but notice Ian staring at his phone, sadly.

“What’s the matter, Sweetie?”

“Nothing. Just haven’t heard from Mickey. Did anything happen that night? Did he say anything to you?” He questioned.

“He was very worried about you. He felt like it was his fault that something happened to you.” She told him.

“His fault?” He questioned, then it hit him like two tons of bricks.

“Terry did this?” He asked with wide eyes.

“He doesn’t know for certain but he thinks he may have had something to do with it.” She told him.

“Jesus. It makes sense.” He replied.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about, honey. Karma always has a way of working itself out.” She told him, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

“It’s not his fault. Terry is an evil monster.” He told her.

“I know what he is honey. Just give Mickey some time. He’ll come around.” She promised.

Ian felt surprisingly better after hearing that news because now at least Mickey’s non responsiveness made more sense.

Once he was checked out of the hospital and settled into his old room, he decided to send him another text.

Mick, this isn’t your fault.

He would give it a day or two before trying again.

*****

Ian continued to send Mickey text messages each day with no response. He had been back to work and was able to be fairly well distracted, but when he was alone, his mind always drifted to Mickey. He finally got desperate enough to call Mandy.

His sister told him that he was fine, but to give him some time; the same advice given by his mother. He decided that it was probably good advice at this point, so he made himself stop; though his heart didn’t want to get on the same page as his brain.

Because he was an equine vet, he was on the road most of the time. It was rare that someone would bring a horse into their facility, though they were set up to accept patients, most people preferred house visits. He had made a few visits to a specific farm facility set up much in the way of Dead Heat. They had over 100 horses on their property and they kept him pretty busy. He didn’t understand why the owner didn’t go the same route as his previous employer and just hire their own vet.

The owner did however, ask him if he would be willing to travel with them to the upcoming Pegasus World Cup. It was the largest purse of the year, and the man did not want to take any chances as he had three horses from his stable competing. Ian asked the owner to call his employer and make the request through them, which they quickly agreed to, as he was one of their biggest clients.

Ian knew that he would have about a 95% chance of seeing Mickey at the race, so he was a pretty even mix of nerves and excitement.

*****

Mickey loved everything about most races, the racetrack, the crowds in the stands, the bussel behind the scenes, and most importantly, the race. What he didn’t like about this bougie ass event was everything but the race. Because of the amount of the purse, it drew every prissy ass socialite and douchebag celebrity that could fit in the over the top stands. There was a red carpet for fuck sake, and don’t even mention the media coverage.

His team was all set, with the horses having been transported in advance with his team, who were for the most part, already there. Ronnie, Mandy, and Mickey would fly separately, with Terry meeting them there. He was fucking dreading seeing the son of a bitch, though he did dial it back from 1,000 to 100 at these events. He would likely fuck off with the other bastards who have too much money and love to sit around and play one-up with eachother. Terry was also staying at The Hyde, which Mickey was fucking thrilled about. The rest of the team would be at the Residence Inn, though he would not complain because it was actually nice as fuck and more laid back.

He was happy he had a pretty good distraction going, though his mind would always bring him back home at the end of the day; which just so happened to be a stupid red head that he missed like a fucking limb. His heart ached when he thought about what he had to do and what Ian must think. He wouldn’t blame him for hating the hell out of him. He deserved it for leaving him without a word.

Once they arrived at the hotel, the plan was for each of them to head to their room, unpack, and get ready for dinner. They had been to this event four times and this was their comfortable routine.

Mickey loved the style of the hotel. It was bright and airy with aqua and white decor and dark wood accents. The rooms were beautiful and clean; not to mention the view of the ocean, which was spectacular. He loved walking on the beach in the mornings with a cup of coffee before the craziness of the day began.

Mickey opened the door to his room and his breath was instantly taken away. He would never get tired of the scenery. He took in the beautiful turquoise ocean with foamy white waves gently lapping at the shore. The ocean was calm today and there were people spotted along the shoreline as far as he could see. This hotel had red umbrellas, but the colors changed as you scanned the different hotels on the beach, each one having its own color. He threw his bag up on his bed and unlocked the balcony to step outside. There was a gentle breeze in the air and the salty smell of the ocean wafted into his room. He couldn’t help but instantly relax with all of the negative ions from the salt of the ocean surrounding him.

He kept the door open while he unpacked and placed his belongings in the drawers, taking his toiletry bag to the bathroom. He put the unpacked bag in the closet but kept it open so he could repack as he removed his clothes. He left out his clothes for the evening which consisted of white cargo shorts, a black fitted tee, and black sandals.

He stepped into the large shower to turn the water on while he brushed his teeth. He stepped in and let the hot water relax his muscles and wash the grime from the plane away. He couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there.

As he was scrubbing himself down his mind wandered to the last time he was in Florida in a hotel with similar decor, only he had a roommate, and his heart ached. He still couldn’t explain how just the thought of Ian could make him feel physical pain that started in his chest and made its way down to the tips of his fingers and toes.

He remembered his plan to make Terry pay for all of his sins and it made him feel mildly better. Not good, but better. Once he was finished, he towel dried his hair and threw on his clothes for the evening, deciding to go commando because fuck it, it’s close enough to Miami.

He stepped off the elevator and found Mandy and Ronnie already at the bar in deep conversation. He wondered if it had something to do with his “surprise” that she mentioned.

“Sit, Mick. We just ordered a drink then we can head out.” Mandy urged, patting the bar seat next to her.

“Hey, Mick. Whatcha drinking?” Randy asked.

“Jack and Coke with a lime.” He responded.

“A lime, huh? That’s pretty fucking fancy.” Ronnie replied.

“Yeah, well I’m pretty fucking fancy.” Mickey responded, causing them both to roll their eyes and laugh.

Mickey looked past his family out to the pool area, then just past it to the ocean and smiled.

“Where do you want to eat tonight?” Mandy asked them. They always went somewhere different when they came.

“How about Scarpetta, the place Nelson told us about last year? It’s in the Fontainebleau I think.” which the bartender quickly confirmed.

“Try their Short Rib Agnolotti Dal Plin. It’s one of the best things I ever put in my mouth. Has a red wine reduction with horseradish and it will make you want to smack your mother.”

“The fuck?” Mickey said in question.

“It’s a saying, Mick. You never heard of it?” Mandy laughed.

“Should be smack your father.” Ronnie added.

“Or roundhouse your father.” Mickey added.

“How about kick your father in the balls?” Mandy laughed, feeling a little tipsy from her guava mojito.

“No, shoot your father between the eyes.” Mickey threw in, with the bartending looking on in horror.

“Trust me, if you knew my Dad, you’d be playing right along with us, dude.” Mickey said, and the bartender just laughed awkwardly and walked away.

“Well, now that we’ve scared our bartender, you ready to head out?” Mandy questioned.

“Yeah, just gonna grab the bill.” Mickey said.

While Mickey was fishing in his shorts for his wallet, Mandy glanced to the lobby and just about fell out of her chair. She tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible but managed to gently kick Ronnie and nod in the direction she was fixed on without Mickey noticing.

They both watched as Ian was handed his key to his room then took off toward the elevators. Just as the doors closed, he and Mandy made eye contact. Mickey pushing his barstool back, broke both of them from their nervous gaze.

“Ready?” Mickey asked.

“Yep, let’s go.” Mandy replied hastily.

*****

Ian’s heart leaped out of his chest when he saw three familiar faces sitting at the lobby bar. He knew Mandy and Ronnie saw him, but Mickey’s back was to him. He stepped out of the elevator on shaky legs and headed to his room. He knew he had a pretty good chance of seeing Mickey at the event but he was stunned to find they were staying at the same hotel.

Ian followed a similar routine as Mickey, taking in the stunning view from his balcony. Once his heart rate returned to a normal BPM, he unpacked his clothes and took a shower. The owner was staying at a much more swanky hotel but his staff were staying here. Ian really knew no one so he was forced to eat alone.

He figured he would eat at the hotel where he felt a little more comfortable than venturing out at this point. With his luck he would end up at a single table next to Mickey’s group.

He threw on some shorts and a tee and headed downstairs to grab a bite.

The next morning Mickey threw on a pair of basketball shorts and a tank and grabbed some coffee downstairs before heading out for his walk. He kicked off his sandals by the hotel stairs to the beach and walked down to the water line.

He decided to go left today which lead him to a tiny boardwalk with a little bakery that sold the world’s best croissants. What he didn’t know was that Ian was watching him as he returned from his morning run. Ian sat on a beach chair and admired the man from afar, as he faded into the distance.

After their morning activities, Mickey and crew hopped into an Uber and made their way to the track to check on their team and horses. Ian was picked up by the owner’s driver, along with two others who were staying at the hotel, making their way to the track.

Ian was a bundle of nerves because he knew, he just knew, that Mickey would see him this time. He wondered if Mandy or Ronnie mentioned that they spotted him the night before.

The track was pure chaos behind the scenes and Mickey loved this part. He couldn’t help but assess the competition up close and personal. Seeing them on TV or watching from a track was much different than being able to inspect them up close. He knew their competition and excused himself from Mandy and Ronnie to make his way down the long path of stalls in the beautiful barn.

He saw his father chit chatting with some of the other owners and walked by him without a word, pretty sure the fucker didn’t even notice, too caught up in his own shit.

Once he spotted his biggest competitor, he casually stood at the gate watching the inspection. He was eyeing the horse trying to take in the details, when he glanced up to see the most beautiful green eyes staring at him and he stood frozen.

Ian was talking with the owner and a few others but his eyes were glued to Mickey and he could feel that physical pain whip through his body causing an ache that he didn’t know existed until he met Ian. He couldn’t break his gaze as much as he tried to look away.

Ian gave him a weak smile and Mickey could only nod before quickly moving on. He made his way out of the barn as quickly as he could and headed to an area that was not so densely populated where he could have a smoke.

Once he burned through three or four cigarettes, he walked back down the aisle, past the horse stalls, avoiding the stall that contained the man he loved. He could feel eyes on him and knew that Ian was watching him as he passed.

Once he was back in the comfort of his own team he grabbed Mandy to pull her aside.

“Mands, you’re not going to fucking believe who’s here.” He told her.

“Ian.” She said frankly.

“How the fuck did you know?” He questioned, with a little piss and vinegar in his tone.

“Mick, I’m sorry. I saw him last night getting on the elevator when we were getting ready to leave for dinner. Honestly, I just didn’t know how to fucking tell you.” She confessed.

“So you thought that getting caught completely the fuck off guard would be a better situation for me? You got some balls on you, Mands. Fuck, if you had balls you would be my fucking brother, not sister. Can’t fucking beleive you let me walk into that shit.” He ranted.

“I am so, so sorry. I really am. Would it have made seeing him any easier?” She questioned.

He stood there silent, biting his bottom lip before answering weakly. “No.”

He walked away from his sister to get in on the conversation that his team was having about one their horses, but not hearing one fucking word that was said.

“He saw him.” Mandy told Ronnie.

“He okay?” He questioned.

“He’s pissed I didn’t tell him.” She said softly regretting her decision.

“Wouldn’t have made a difference, Mandy. Just a little more time and he won’t have a problem being with Ian. Just need to remember that, okay? He’ll be gone very soon and out of our lives, honey.” Ronnie said, trying to comfort his niece.

“I know. I just wish it were tomorrow. I can’t stand seeing him this way.” She replied, before walking off on her own.

*****

Ian excused himself after the inspection and went outside to have a cigarette and calm himself down a bit. His heart almost exploded out of his chest when he laid eyes on Mickey. He knew in that second that he loved that man. Although he hadn’t known Mickey very long, he meant more to Ian than everyone, except his mother. He loved Mickey and if he had to, he would be patient.

“Can I bum one of those?” He heard a familiar voice ask.

“Hey, Mands. Sure.” He replied, holding out his pack for her to grab a stick before closing it and holding the lighter up to it for her.

“So, I heard you saw each other. Are you okay?” She asked, as she leaned back against the building looking straight ahead, as Ian was doing the same.

“Yeah. Guess you didn’t tell him last night. He looked pretty startled to see me.” He stated plainly.

“No. Wasn’t sure how to tell him. Guess I should have, rather than letting him be surprised like that.” She sighed.

“Is he okay? I mean how is he? Is he still having any dizzy spells?”

“He’s fine. Hasn’t had one in a while. He’s just keeping himself busy with work; and prepping for this event has been a distraction.”

“Good. Glad he’s better.”

“How are you?”

Ian was quiet for a bit before answering her question, not really knowing how to say what he felt.

“I miss him.” He said sadly.

“He misses you, too.” She replied as they finished their cigarettes in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know everyone is waiting for Terry to get his ass handed to him. Be patient, we are getting very close!! 
> 
> xo
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos. It is my motivation to keep going!


	10. My Anaconda Don't Want None

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey find themselves in an awkward position while Mickey is on a date. Ian vents his frustrations to Mandy and Ronnie.

*****

The next day would be jam packed with eight different races, all of which would be leading up to the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational with a purse of $7MM and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, with a purse of $9MM. Mickey had horses running in both, plus a turf sprint.

The horses started making their way out onto the paddock along with their respective jockeys, owners, trainers, and other team members, causing pure chaos but in a way that Mickey grew to love. His horse was closest to the fence which surrounded the park, waiting for entry onto the track. His face faltered as he saw his fucker of a father faking his way through the crowd with a smile that made Mickey try to figure how it didn’t crack his face in half from lack of use.

He took a deep breath as the hateful man approached him and patted him on his back, clearly trying to imitate a real father/son relationship. Mickey could feel his stomach churning with disgust.

“Hey, Pops.” He breathed, feeling physically nauseous at addressing the man who he wanted to be six feet under like yesterday. It made him feel much better knowing that “Pops” had a very limited time above ground.

Terry started to pat the horse like he knew anything about her other than her name. “How’s our lady here?”

“She good. She has a really good fucking chance to place in this one. It’s only her fifth time out but it’s good practice to get her in front of a crowd like this one. Might get an offer on her.” He spoke, as he looked around at anything but his sperm donor’s face.

Mickey noticed a socialite making her way in his direction while he was trying to figure out how the fuck she got in here in the first place, until it suddenly hit him. She probably owned a fucking horse gifted to her by Daddy or more plausible - her “daddy”. She approached with a toothy smile on her Juvederm filled lips, and was wrapped in a tight dress with wedge heels but most notably, the most ridiculous hat he had ever seen was sitting on her head. He would laugh if it weren’t such a pitiful sight. Mickey was baffled by the shit rich people did to try to be bougie.

“Hello, I’m Katarina De Marco. I have to admit that I’ve been watching you all day and just had to make your acquaintance. Not very often do we see someone as handsome as you handling a horse so well.” She breathed in a low sultry voice as she fluttered her eyelashes at him, which subsequently, were also fake.

Terry lit up like a fucking catherine wheel and Mickey knew what he was thinking before he even opened his dirty mouth. Mickey was momentarily distracted by a flash of red in the mass, as his father talked to the idiot with a nest on her head. He made eye contact with Ian and smiled softly, getting one in return.

“Mick, why don’t you take Katarina out to a nice dinner tonight. I’m sure you two have a lot in common.” Terry recommended with a sinister smirk, while Mickey continued to stare at his love.

Mickey suddenly snapped out of his stupor when he saw Terry turning his head in the direction he was gazing. The action caused him to panic and blurt out something he wished he could take back the second after it left his mouth.

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” He blurted with a big, fake smile; giving all of his attention to the woman who appeared to be wearing a dress that was so tight that he figured it was probably holding all of her plastic parts together.

“Well, I would just love to have dinner with you. I know a little place that serves the best foie gras and escargot. I mean, it is TO. DIE. FOR.” She gushed, as she glanced down at his full lips.

Mickey was pretty sure she was telling the truth because he was certain dinner would bring a slow death, but he continued to flirt and shower the fake blonde with attention so Terry wouldn’t notice Ian. He didn’t take into account how it must look to the man he loved, who slinked away with an aching heart after watching the shit show.

They were able to keep Terry away from Ian for the rest of the busy day, which Mickey counted as a win. He was filled with dread because the absolute last fucking thing he wanted was to take this freakshow out to dinner. He wanted to get a hot shower and crawl into bed, preferably with Ian, though that was not an option for him right now.

He was able to keep himself well enough distracted and it hadn’t been too hard considering his focus on the races, with their horses placing in all three and bringing in a total of $4MM. They were all thrilled, but Mickey couldn’t help but be happy that the winner of the big race was the horse that he had seen Ian with earlier. He hoped it made him happy.

As they were packing up, he saw the blonde heading his way and he wanted to run in the other direction like he was on fire. He would have, had it not been for Terry seeing her as well.

“Here’s my hotel information. How is 8?” She said with a big smile.

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up out front.” He sighed, before she turned to walk away and tried with all her might to shake her nonexistent ass. Mickey could only roll his eyes, but his father seemed pleased, which was the most important thing right at the moment. Keep him distracted. He didn’t need any hitches to the plan he had for the bastard.

Mickey, Mandy, and Ronnie caught a taxi back to the hotel, while Terry made his way with the upper echelon to his own. Mickey was fucking thrilled to say goodbye. He knew what would happen the next time they saw each other and it made him fucking giddy.

“So, listen to this shit.” Mickey started, as they were all seated in their cab.

“Oh Christ. What now?” Ronnie sighed, knowing what he was about to hear most likely wasn’t gonna be good.

“I have a date tonight.” He told them, with both brows high on his head, just waiting for their reactions.

With that, Mandy and Ronnie perked right up, thinking that Mickey finally came to his senses and was going out with Ian.

“Yeah, not who you think. Her name is Katarina.” He said flatly, bursting their bubble immediately.

“WHAT? Who the fuck? But why? How?” Mandy yelled, trying to figure out how the fuck he found someone to take on a date, and why he was so fucking non chalant about it.

“She came up to me when I was with Lucifer and I had to dust off my acting chops and act like I was into her. All to avoid Terry from seeing Ian, who was only two horses over.” He said, pulling a cigarette from his pack and placing it behind his ear .

“You have to be shitting me, Mick. Can’t you just call and cancel?” Ronnie suggested, hoping Mickey would come to his senses.

“She’s staying at the same fucking hotel as him and all I need is for her to run into his evil ass at the bar or some shit. I’ll just do it and get it over with.” He relented, tapping his thigh while waiting to arrive at the hotel so he could hop out and light his smoke.

“Ugh. I wanted to hang out on the patio tonight. They have a band and we could walk on the beach like we did last year.” Mandy pressed, hoping it would change her brother’s mind, although she understood his logic.

“Listen, I’m not going to be long, trust me. I want to get this shit over with and get back to the hotel and relax.” He promised, praying to the gay gods that he was right.

*****

Mickey had an Uber pick him up and he was now headed to get his “date”. He wanted to throw up; he was so disgusted with this situation. It was going to be a nightmare, he was pretty certain.

He could see the blonde waiting out front, talking to a group of assholes. He rolled his eyes before he stepped out of the car to get her.

This getup was worse than the last and he actually felt a little embarrassed for her. She had on another one of those bodycon mummy dresses in canary yellow with a keyhole opening that was showing off her ample fake cleavage. It just made her look sad and desperate, not to mention, it put her horrible boob job front and center. She wore royal blue strappy satin platform heels with a matching envelope purse, which was way too big for the getup.

He walked up to the group and she squealed when she spotted him, clapping her hands to add some additional dramatics. She introduced him to Muffy, Buffy, and Fluffy. He nodded in their direction then he helped her to the car.

As soon as he got into the other side, she boldly rested her hand on his thigh. He shifted to get out of her grip and she seemed to get the hint. She started going on about the restaurant and how it is “the place to be seen” and that “everyone who's anyone” will be there tonight.

Great, he thought. Luckily, he didn’t have to chip into the conversation, save for a “uh huh” here and there, since she was yammering on enough for the both of them.

When they pulled up to the restaurant, he could fucking finally escape the prison of the sedan he was stuck in, for a more open space.

The restaurant had huge tiki lamps out front, as well as a fire pit and a serpent statue; which he felt was fitting. When he pulled the door open for her, he was overwhelmed by the crowd. This bitch hadn’t been shitting him. The bar to the right was packed and every table inside was taken. There were floor to ceiling windows and a patio, which seemed to be pretty empty. It was a beautiful night and he couldn’t figure out why these assholes would stay inside. Oh, he knew. They’d probably melt from all of the plastic.

She grabbed his hand and steered him into the abyss towards the bar. He recognized most of the people there from earlier that day, and it hit him. They probably reserved the patio. Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck.

She stopped them once they landed in front of another group of stuffed shirts and made the introductions. He offered to get her a drink for a short reprieve and to acquire a much needed buzz.

Once he made his way up to the bar, he ordered a double Jack and Coke, heavy on the Jack, and a Pomegranate martini. He noticed that Baron was leaning against the bar talking to a large group of people and he wondered what he did in a previous life to deserve this shit. He fucking knew Ian would be there given Baron owned the winning horse.

As luck would have it, he saw the beautiful familiar face smiling and walking up to the group. He watched him socialize as he waited for his drinks. He wondered what it would be like standing next to him as a couple, talking and laughing, to hold his hand and pull it up to his lips for a kiss, to feel his hand on his lower back leading him through the crowd. Then suddenly all the blood drained from his face when he saw Terry approaching the group and planting himself in between Baron and Ian.

He could see the look of surprise and disgust on Ian’s face when he noticed him. Terry just nodded in a dismissive way and began talking with Baron. Fuck. His. Life.

He pushed through the crowd, back to Katarina and handed her the drink, then took a big swig of his, emptying half of the glass in one go. If he was going to get through this night, he needed libations, as these assholes called it. When in Rome.

After about 30 minutes of torture and hearing about the holidays these jerks had been on recently, Baron announced that the patio was now open and for everyone to take a seat and enjoy dinner. Awesome.

Katarina grabbed his hand and pulled him ahead of the crowd towards a large table that already sat a few unfamiliar faces. Baron began heading towards the table then leaned over to kiss Katarina on her cheek.

“There’s my girl. So, this lucky man is your date?” He questioned, eyeing MIckey with a fatherly glare.

“Yes, this is Mickey.” She said, happily looking back at Mickey like he hung the moon.

“Terry’s son, huh? Let me get him over here. He can sit with us. We can get to know each other better.” Baron spoke, then stood up before Mickey could protest. This night keeps getting better and better.

Terry took a seat across from Mickey and started to pretend to be the father of the year again. The bullshit being slung around this table was unreal.

Katarina hung all over Mickey, leaning in to whisper tidbits about the people that were joining them. His heart stopped beating when the last seat was occupied by Ian, which caused Terry’s cheeks to turn pink from the increased blood flow to his face, though he was trying his best to suppress his disgust.

Ian was startled when he noticed Mickey sitting there with the girl from the race pressed firmly against him like they’d been Gorilla glued together. To add insult, Terry was sitting right across from them. This was his actual worst nightmare come true, he decided.

Terry kept his eyes locked on Mickey to ensure there was no non verbal interaction between him and Ian. The table was set for twelve and Ian was on the other end, which was the one and only saving grace of this disaster of an evening.

Conversation started flowing with more alcohol being delivered and the tension dissipated slightly, now that Terry and Baron were deep in conversation.

It gave Mickey a chance to glance down at Ian, who was sitting quietly, just staring at his empty plate. There were appetizers on the table and he was just sitting there, not talking to anyone. It made Mickey’s heart ache. He wanted nothing more than to go comfort him; to tell him that they could be together soon, but he couldn’t let Ian in on his plans. He made a promise and planned on keeping it until everything was over.

That gave him an idea. He pulled out his phone and sent a text off to Maria.

Text Ian. Just trust me. I’ll explain later.

He saw Ian pick up his phone and smile. He stood up to excuse himself, obviously preferring to call her and get away temporarily from the shitty situation.

After about 15 minutes, Ian returned and looked to be in better shape. He was thankful that he had been in contact with Maria and had her number. He felt his phone vibrate.

“Thank you. He told me what’s happening. I’m so sorry. This will be over soon.”

He replied. “I know but I hate seeing him hurt like this. Thanks for talking to him. He looks better.”

Mickey put his phone back in his pocket and resumed the bullshit, anxiously awaiting for it to be over. He continued with the ruse, just smiling and nodding like he gave a fat fuck, occasionally glancing down the table when Terry was distracted.

Ian had started to eat and was having a conversation with the group at the end.

The dessert course was finally on the table and it was chocolate cake. Mickey smiled and looked down the table at Ian, who seemed to have the same thought, remembering their drunken night in the hotel room. He looked at Mickey then quickly looked away.

Once dinner was finished, Katarina was obviously pretty drunk and was wrapped around Mickey like an anaconda, but his anaconda don’t want none of what she was offering.

It was also pretty obvious that she had other plans for him than him returning home after dropping her ass back to her hotel. He excused himself to have a smoke and to walk down to the wooden beach walk and she fucking followed him. He couldn’t shake this one.

She pressed her body into him and he was about to push away when he looked over to see Terry smiling and watching them. He pulled her in and placed a chaste kiss on her lips then quietly told her he wanted to finish his smoke. She smirked and backed up a bit, still not detaching herself from him.

Ian had been watching the entire time. He was leaning against the wooden fence of the patio having a smoke of his own and saw the sickening display. He wanted to wretch over the side. He knew Mickey wasn’t into this and it was likely just a show for his father, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. He hated Terry in that moment more than ever. More than he ever hated anyone, and that was a pretty fucking high bar.

Ian excused himself and got a cab back to the hotel, not being able to watch the disturbing scene any longer. When he got to the hotel, he went directly to the patio bar to get a drink. He saw Mandy and Ronnie sitting on a sofa and decided to join them while Mickey was still out playing pretend.

“Mind if I join you?” He asked hopefully, not really wanting to be alone right now.

“Sure, Ian. Sit down.” Ronnie said, waving his hand at the large cushioned chair across from them.

“Hey, Ian. Just getting back from dinner?” Mandy asked, as she picked up her drink and took a healthy swig.

“Yeah, I am.” He replied somberly, trying to get the image of Mickey and Terry and Plastic Surgery Barbie out of his head.

“How was it?” She questioned, before placing a cigarette between her lips and lighting it.

“Oh, well maybe you should ask your brother. He was sitting at the same table as me with his date. Oh, and Terry. He was there too.” He stated passive aggressively at them, watching both of their jaws drop simultaneously.

“How the fuck did that happen?” Mandy gasped in horror.

“Mickey is on a date with Baron’s daughter.” He said, as he finished off his drink before placing it down hard on the table next to him.

“Ohhhhh.” Mandy sighed, once it clicked that they were at the same restaurant. Man, her brother had some shit luck.

Ronnie could do nothing but shake his head, feeling for both Ian and Mickey.

“You know he doesn’t want to be there with her. This is all a show for Terry.” Mandy spoke, trying to take some of the sting out of the evening.

“Wonder if he’ll fuck her for Terry, too.” Ian shot back, before realizing he may have had too much to drink.

Both Mandy and Ronnie winced at the comment, not knowing what to say.

They each took an awkward sip of their drinks, letting the moment pass before changing the topic.

“How’s your new job?” Ronnie questioned, hoping to steer Ian onto a new topic that didn’t involve Mickey.

“It’s good. I’m on the road quite a bit but the people are nice.” He spoke, as he played with the straw that was in his now empty drink.

“Mickey doesn’t want to put you in any danger, Ian. He cares about you. So much, and he is hurting too. I know it probably doesn’t help but at least know that he loves you.” She blurted out, instantly regretting her mouth diarrhea.

Both Ian and Ronnie looked at her with wide eyes before Ian replied sadly. “If he loved me, he would find a way for us to be together. Terry doesn’t have to know.” He sighed, before setting his drink on the table between them and excusing himself.

“I’m gonna head up. Long day. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night.” Ian said sadly, then made his way back into the lobby to catch the next elevator.

He got in with a heavy heart and was startled when he heard a familiar voice yelling to hold the elevator. He hit the door open button and stepped back. Mickey ran into the elevator not knowing who was on it, which was pretty obvious from the shocked expression on his face.

“Ian.”

“Mick.”

They stared at each other for a beat as the elevator doors closed, before coming together like two magnets. The burning kiss seared through their bodies as both men poured every one of their emotions they were feeling into it.

Mickey broke the kiss first. “My room okay?”

“Yes. Please.” Ian said, before they joined their lips together again while Mickey backed him up so he could press the button to his floor.

The doors opened and they kissed their way to Mickey’s door. Mickey fumbled around his pocket without breaking contact, then held the key card to open the door.

“Missed you. So fucking much.” Mickey told him, as he pulled Ian over towards the bed.

“Missed you. Fucking hate not being with you, Mick.” Ian confessed, as his hands held tightly onto the hips of the man he loved.

They fell onto the bed and hands began to explore each other like they were trying to memorize every muscle, every dip and curve.

They pulled apart and gazed into each other’s eyes, then Mickey raised his hand to cup Ian’s face, stroking it gently, and wishing he could confess his feelings and his plan so Ian would have some hope.

“Take this off.” Ian said, as he pulled up Mickey’s tee.

Ian leaned up on his knees, removing his own shirt and unzipped his pants. Mickey lifted himself just enough to get the shirt over his head. The action caused his ab muscles to tense, earning a growl from Ian, who frantically unzipped Mickey’s pants.

Mickey pulled Ian back down and they both moaned when their naked chests came together. Ian kissed him hard and deep then sucked and pulled Mickey’s bottom lip into his mouth running his tongue over it.

Mickey’s hands were traveling down Ian’s strong back and the feel of his muscles flexing was making him a little crazy and painfully hard. It was his turn to be impatient as he fumbled, reaching between them trying to remove Ian’s pants and boxer briefs like they were one article of clothing.

Ian smirked, then stood up to take them off before yanking Mickey’s down in one go.

He couldn’t help but stop and stare. “Fucking hell, Mick. You are so goddamn beautiful. Look at you.” He said, as he admired the man he loved in all of his naked glory.

“Yeah, the view is pretty fucking good from down here, too. So fucking sexy, Ian. Want you so bad.” Mickey replied.

“Did you bring lube?” Ian breathed, hoping the answer was yes so he could wage an all out assault on Mickey’s fine ass.

“My toiletry bag in the bathroom.” He replied, while sitting up on his elbows to watch Ian saunter off to the other room, while ogling his beautiful form.

Ian came back holding the lube and a Magnum. “My size, Mick. You a size queen?” He asked, feeling a little fucking jealous to be honest.

“I bought them for us, Ian.” He confessed, knowing what Ian was probably thinking.

“When?” Ian pressed.

“When you were holding out that gorgeous cock on me.” He shot back and wiggled his eyebrows, as his eyes glanced down to the cock in question.

“Not holding out a fucking thing tonight, Mick.” Ian replied, smiling devilishly as he crawled onto the bed up towards his prey.

“Hand me a pillow.” Ian commanded, watching Mickey happily comply.

Mickey hadn’t had sex since their last encounter and he was both elated and terrified at the thought of taking his big dick after such a long sex sabbatical.

Ian grabbed both of Mickey’s legs and hiked them over his shoulders to lift him up as he situated the pillow under his ass.

Ian sat him down gently, and now dessert was really fucking ready to be served because he was sure that no fucking chocolate cake in the world was going to taste as good as his tongue up Mickey’s ass.

He looked up to see Mickey watching him with lust blown eyes, awaiting his next move.

Ian began gently nosing around Mickey’s coarse, black hair, breathing in deeply before deciding that this was his favorite smell.

After teasing him a bit, Ian started to mouth Mickey’s cock without touching it, flattening his tongue and gently running it from root to tip, stopping to suck softly on his leaky head. He swirled his tongue around, savoring the salty taste, which made his own cock fully harden. The feeling of pure lust and desire took over his entire body like he was feral.

He kept his eyes on Mickey the entire time, and noticed he was now panting from Ian’s cock play.

“You taste so fucking good, Mickey. Like candy.” He told him, before diving back down, this time lapping at his balls, gently pulling one then the other into his mouth and sucking gently. He saw Mickey’s head drop back, mouth wide open.

“No, no. I want you to watch me. Eyes up here, Mick.” He said, before sucking at the skin between his leg and thigh, causing the man to gasp and arch his back.

Their eyes met before Ian ran his tongue painfully slow over Mickey’s balls, then back up to the tip before grabbing his legs and spreading them wider; trying to get as close as possible to what he really wanted to lick and suck on.

“I’m gonna eat this beautiful ass until your legs shake, Mick. Would you like that? Want me to eat you out?” He asked devilishly.

“Fuck, Ian. You know I do.” Mickey breathed, almost unable to form the words.

“Tell me, Mick. I wanna hear you say it.” Ian ordered, while stopping to hear the words before he proceeded to eat him like he’s his last meal.

“Eat my ass, Ian. Wanna feel your tongue deep inside me. Fuck, just please.” He moaned, and Ian couldn’t help but notice Mickey’s abs quivering, making Ian leak on the soft hotel sheets.

He placed his thumbs on Mickey’s beautiful, plump cheeks, spreading them wide before licking a wet, fat stripe over his hole.

“Ian, fuck. Give me that tongue.” Mickey moaned loudly, trying to spread his legs as wide as possible so Ian could get deep in his ass.

“You taste like a treat. Could eat this ass all night.” Ian stated, before diving right back in to get more, now running his tongue in slow circles over Mickey’s ridiculously tight, perfect hole and feeling him twitch. Ian spit, then used his thumb to gently massage him, trying to coax Mickey to loosen up a bit. He was so fucking tight that he couldn’t even get his tongue inside of him yet, let alone his cock.

Mickey whined and arched his back, looking like a fucking porn star, as Ian popped his cock back in his mouth while he continued gently rubbing the tight muscle.

Ian loved sucking Mickey’s cock. It was absolutely perfect, thick with the perfect head, the kind that he wanted to suck on like a lollipop for the rest of his fucking life.

He finally started to loosen up so Ian migrated south and began to wiggle his tongue inside.

“Fuck, fuck, fuuuhck.” Mickey moaned, long and slow.

Ian continued to suck and lick at his hole to get him ready for the main event. Lapping at him and savoring the taste, he wanted to be buried deep inside of Mickey’s tight ass, but he was enjoying eating him out too much. After a few minutes, he popped the lube and coated his fingers with the slick liquid, slipping one inside slowly next to his tongue. The filthy sounds falling out of Mickey’s mouth were almost as enjoyable as his asshole.

Ian gently traced his thumb against Mickey’s perineum, trying to locate his prostate from the outside, while he searched for it from the inside so he could give it dual pressure.

He slid his tongue out and slipped another finger in, crooking them both until he found Mickey’s spot and bingo… “Mother fuck, that feels fucking amazing. So good, Ian.” He whined and reached down to grab Ian’s hair tightly.

Ian continued to finger fuck him, rotating and curling his fingers, stretching his tight muscles to be able to accomodate his cock. He felt so fucking good he couldn’t possibly fathom what it’s gonna feel like when he’s buried balls deep.

“Gonna come, gotta fuck me.” Mickey gasped, pulling Ian’s hair to get him to back off.

“Patience, Mick. Gotta get you ready for my cock. Don’t want to hurt you.” Ian told him, really wanting to make it as enjoyable as possible for the man, not painful.

“C’mere.” Mickey said, while Ian continued to play with his now soaking wet asshole. Mickey wanted his mouth STAT and he needed to taste himself on Ian’s tongue.

Ian stopped on the way to lick and suck softly on the head of Mickey’s cock, which was now heavily leaking. He picked up the salty liquid and brought it up to Mickey’s mouth for him to taste.

Mickey opened his mouth wide, allowing Ian full access before he slid his tongue in meeting Mickey’s, who sucked on it while he moaned and arched against Ian.

“See how good you taste? Fucking addicting.” He said, before kissing Mickey and carefully sliding in the third finger.

“That okay?” Ian questioned, to make sure Mickey was not having any discomfort.

“Yes. Fuck, hurry up. Need that cock in me tonight. Been waiting too long.” Mickey replied impatiently, wanting Ian to fuck him into the mattress.

“Gonna fuck this tight ass so good.” Ian replied, as he made quick work of scissoring his man open. Ian slid his fingers out and grabbed the condom, opening it with his teeth and spitting the wrapper off to the side. He rolled it on then lubed himself generously.

Mickey spread his legs wide and Ian got into position to sink into his love. He leaned on his elbow, with one hand in Mickey’s hair and the other used to wrap Mickey’s leg tightly around his back. Ian then lined himself up, willing himself not to shoot his load right then. “Not gonna last if I’m being honest. I’ve been dreaming about this moment, Mick.”

“Same, Ian. Please.” He panted, as he tightened his leg behind Ian’s back, pulling him forward.

Ian slid in slowly, trying to be gentle. “Oh my God. Feel fucking perfect.” He whined, trying to regulate his breathing.

“So fucking big. Give me a second.” Mickey said, while pressing a hand against Ian’s chest to hold him in place for a moment.

Ian stopped, allowing Mickey to adjust, until he felt Mickey’s leg tighten again behind him. “More?”

“Give me all of it.” He breathed, as he tightened his legs around Ian.

Ian made small thrusts, working his way inside of him until he bottomed out. He stopped to look him in his eyes. “Mickey, I missed you so fucking much. Don’t do that to me again.”

“I’m sorry. I missed you, too. Fuck me, Ian. Fuck me hard.” He begged, wanting to feel Ian hard and deep inside of his ass.

WIth that, Ian pulled out, leaving only the fat head of his cock inside, before slamming back in to the hilt. He was pretty sure he was in heaven. He fit so fucking perfeclty inside of the man he loved, like a lock and key.

“Hit it hard, Ian. Not gonna hurt me.”

Ian started to fuck into Mickey as requested, filling the room with the sounds of their bodies meeting, along with heavy breaths and their names being moaned loudly. Ian felt his balls tightening so he stopped again to give himself a minute.

“The fuck you think you’re doing?” Mickey whined, as his eyes popped open and he focused on Ian, staring at him intently.

“I’m gonna cum, Mick. Just give me a sec.” Ian pleaded, dripping with sweat.

Mickey was having none of that shit so he used his strong thighs to flip them over.

“Holy fuck, Mick. Now I’m definitely not gonna last. Fucking gorgeous, baby.” Ian gasped, watching in awe as Mickey got into position then slid down his long, thick cock.

Once he was fully seated on Ian’s dick, Mickey leaned forward, placing his hands on Ian’s strong chest. Then he began to rock slowly, and gradually picked up the pace, making his man go crazy.

“Mick, gotta slow down. Almost there.” Ian begged, as he grabbed his hips trying to slow him down.

“Me, too. Hold on.” Mickey said, before climbing off and turning himself around to ride that dick reverse cowboy style.

“Oh, you are fucking evil.” Ian groaned, as Mickey lowered his ass down to Ian’s dick, which was in his other hand.

He rubbed Ian’s cock against his wet asshole soley for display, before pressing it in and descending until he sat flush against Ian.

“You have gotta be kidding me. I hope you’re ready to blow because this is the most fucking incredible shit I have ever seen. This ass, Mickey. Fuck.” He would take a picture if he could because he wanted to remember this sight forever.

Mickey squeezed around Ian’s throbbing dick, then began to bounce up and down, continuously shifting until he hit his prostate and moaning sinfully at the sensation when he did. Mickey kept his hands perched on Ian’s legs and used Ian’s cock to bring himself near orgasm as it rubbed over his sensitive spot with each assent and descent.

“Just like that, Mick. Take my cock so good. Fuck, you should see this...such a pretty asshole.” Ian was holding Mickey’s ass, helping him bounce up and down.

“M’ready. Ian, fuck. Gonna cum.” Mickey said, before shooting his load all over his own stomach and Ian’s legs.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” Ian cried, as he came hard and deep inside of Mickey.

Mickey waited for a minute to get his bearings before climbing off of Ian and collapsing next to him. Ian removed the condom, tied it off, then chucked it onto the floor before turning over and pulling his man close. “That was incredible. You ride my dick like a true cowboy, baby.”

“I took that dick to the fucking rodeo. Or it took me. Either way, fuck. So good.” Mickey said, before placing a soft, sweet kiss on Ian’s lips.

Ian grabbed the covers and pulled them up over them both. Mickey rolled over and pulled Ian’s hand with him placing it over his waist, not letting go. He laced his fingers through Ian’s then scooted back, as Ian kissed the back of his neck.

“Hey, Mick?” Ian said sheepishly, hoping this next declaration would not be considered too soon.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.” He told him, as his heart pounded in his chest, hoping Mickey wouldn’t kick his ass back to his own room.

“I love you too, Ian.” Mickey said sweetly, before bringing Ian’s hand to his mouth and placing a soft gentle kiss on it. Both men were fast asleep in just minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think about Maria being in on the plot to end Terry with Mickey? I couldn't let Mickey have all the fun!!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you as always for reading!
> 
> xo


	11. The Mourning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plans are revealed.

*****

Mickey woke up feeling warm and well rested being surrounded by Ian. They were literally wrapped up in each other. Ian was sleeping, still in REM sleep and softly snoring, with his eyes fluttering under his eyelids. Even still, he looked beautiful and it hurt Mickey’s heart.

Mickey took this time to take him in and imprint this memory into his mind. When he first woke, he knew immediately that a mistake was made and Ian would end up getting hurt...again. When he saw Ian in the elevator with those wide and hopeful emerald green eyes, he knew there was no way he could walk away in that moment. It was selfish and an enormous blunder on his part.

Mickey had something to take care of before he could be with Ian. Something mission critical to them having a relationship at all. He planned on taking care of Terry very soon, but he would still need to wait until there was no possibility of anyone being a suspect in the death of his father. Once it was safe, Mickey would try to win Ian back and hope he isn’t too late. Until then, he made a promise to Maria and he had to keep it, as much as it pained him.

He remembered a quote he heard on one of his favorite TV shows. “If you have chemistry, you only need one other thing; timing. But timing is a bitch.” He thought that was fitting for this fucking mess of a situation he found himself in now. His moment was interrupted by the shuffling of the man he loved laying next to him.

Mickey started to feel sick and the pain of heartbreak started taking him over and he felt it throughout his entire body. He knew it would only be a short time until Ian was leaving his room, thinking Mickey was a fucking monster, allowing for this situation to happen. Mickey had replied to Ian, telling him he loved him, too. He shouldn’t have, but he wanted Ian to know the truth; that he did love him, though he wasn’t sure Ian would believe those words anymore after what he was about to do to him.

Loving each other was not the issue here. His heart started pounding in his chest and bile started to rise in his throat. He maneuvered himself out of Ian’s grasp, miraculously still not waking Ian, though he knew that was short lived and that Ian would be up in a few minutes.

He ran towards the bathroom and closed the door softly, turning on both the light and fan. He sat on the edge of the tub trying to calm his upset stomach, which was useless because his nerves were shot. There was a complimentary bottle of water on the sink in a tray with glasses. He twisted off the cap then downed the bottle in one go. He rubbed his hand over his face, taking in and releasing a deep breath, hoping to slow his heart rate down. A single tear trailed down his cheek and he rubbed it away quickly, mentally willing himself to stop.

Mickey had never let himself get tangled up in matters of the heart, but he had handed it to Ian on a silver platter, only to have Terry send it crashing to the ground. The mother fucker would pay for what he did; for everything he had done to hurt his family. To Ian. Mickey refused to let himself live any longer under his father’s thumb. He didn’t deserve it, Ronnie didn’t, and Mandy sure as fuck didn’t either. It was time to end him and that was enough to get Mickey to stand up and face the man on the other side of the door. He was doing this for himself and Ian, considering they were the catalyst for this entire plan.

He splashed some cold water over his face and wiped it off with a hand towel. He took one good look in the mirror then shook his head and took a deep breath before opening the door. When he walked back into the bedroom he saw Ian sitting up rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Good morning, Mick. You been up long?” He asked sleepily, and his voice alone made Mickey want to start crying again. Memories of the previous night flooded back and he had to push his emotions back down and hold them in until the man he loved left him.

“Good morning, Ian. No, not too long. You sleep okay?” Mickey asked nervously, knowing his face would give him away.

“Better than I have in months, Mick. I can’t believe last night actually happened.” He replied, finally looking up at Mickey and the happy grin on his face slipped away.

“Something wrong?” Ian said through a breath, obviously worried about the response he would get from Mickey.

“Ian, last night was amazing and perfect but it shouldn’t have happened. My situation hasn’t changed and it was unfair to lead you on like I did. We can’t be together, Ian. Not while Terry is still here.” He told him in a shaky voice, hating the words as they were leaving his mouth.

“But, Mick. We said we love each other last night. Did you not mean what you said?” Ian let out with a heavy breath, his eyes now starting to tear up.

“That’s not it, Ian. Of course I meant it. I would never have said it if it weren’t true. I do love you. Very much.” He promised, knowing that Ian was still hanging on to hope.

“Then we can figure out a way. There has to be a way for us to be together, Mick.” Ian pleading was only making Mickey feel worse.

“No, Ian. We can’t. Our timing is off. If things were different, I would be all in with you but they aren’t and I can’t. It would ruin our relationship and I have already hurt you enough.” He replied.

“Please don’t do this.”

“Ian.”

Ian choked back a sob before speaking. “For my entire life nobody has ever treated me like I was anything until Maria. Mom. I was beaten and thrown away by my first family, my adopted parents don’t give a shit about me, my father outed me for Christ’s sake. I never let myself get attached to anyone, to feel anything. But I did with you because it felt right. And this is how it ends? You’re just going to give up on me like this?” Heavy tears were now pooling in his eyes, threatening to spill over.

“I don’t want to do this but I have to, Ian. I am doing this for you. Please understand that. This is the first time I ever felt anything in my life. I love you! This is not easy for me. Don’t you think my heart is breaking here, too?”

The room fell into silence, save for the sound of heavy breaths, fighting back more tears that they didn’t want to spill in front of each other. The air in the room was heavy.

“I don’t believe you. You don’t just give up on someone you love.” Ian said, as he sat up then started frantically gathering his clothes.

Mickey felt a stabbing pain in his heart with that comment. Did Ian really feel this way? Could he really think that he meant nothing to Mickey. The thought alone tore him to shreds.

“Please, Ian. That isn’t true. Please don’t leave here thinking that way.” Mickey pleaded, while watching Ian get dressed and ready to make a run for it. He tried to grab onto Ian’s arm to get him to slow down for a minute and listen to what Mickey was saying to him.

“Don’t touch me!” Ian hollered, as he shook his arm out of Mickey’s grip, causing Mickey to put both of his hands up in front of him.

“I’m sorry. I just… I just don’t want you leaving here thinking that way.” Mickey said sadly, eyes facing the ground now, not even able to make eye contact. It was too painful to make eye contact, knowing that Ian was no longer his now.

“Fuck you, Mickey. Your actions don’t match your words. So fuck you and stay the fuck away from me.” Ian shot back angrily before slamming the door behind him.

“Goodbye, Ian.” Mickey said through a whisper. He lay back on the bed and let his tears flow. He felt like an ice pick was stabbing him in his chest over and over. He rolled over to where Ian had slept the night before and pressed his face into the pillow, savoring the scent before that too faded away into nothing.

*****

A month had passed but the pain had not lessened. Mickey thought about Ian at least twice for every minute of the day and it was tearing him apart. When he wasn’t thinking about Ian, he was thinking about Terry and the break up poured the fuel on the fire, allowing Mickey to move on swiftly with his plan to fuck him up.

Terry was due back in two days and Mickey and Maria’s plan was in place. After he and Maria had originally spoken with each other in the hospital, they spent time together setting up every detail, ensuring it would go off without a hitch; even going as far as to do a couple of dry runs with a dummy. It absolutely had to work.

Maria had told Mickey about how Ian practically grew up on her brother’s farm. Once they started discussing the possibility of “taking care” of Terry, Maria had an idea.

Her brother had been complaining about his bull who, in the past, was very docile but recently had become extremely dangerous and aggressive. Ian had gone over to see if he could help but they didn’t have enough tranquilizers or the needed equipment to do a proper check up, but they had been making arrangements.

Mickey planned on telling Terry about a must-see horse at the farm. Maria’s brother would put him in the arena and tell him he would be right back with the horse. Their other brother, and a few trusted workers who were like family, would keep him there talking and shooting the shit. Once they saw the bull enter the arena they would take off in different directions with Terry’s back to the bull. They were putting the bull in a flank strap to ensure he was good and pissed; then the rest was up to the bull. Every time they did a dry run, the bull bucked and trampled the dummy leaving it in a heaping mess.

Once the deed was done, the ambulance would be called, which would lead to the police being called to investigate. They had agreed to tell the police that Terry had been aggravating the bull, calling them all a pussy for being afraid of the bull, and the rest is history.

Ronnie was already in appointments for the day so there was no fear of him going with Terry, and Mickey also made sure he had a meeting. Once Terry was taken care of, he would make sure that there was no suspicion before reaching out to Ian. Then, and only then, was he able to contact Ian, per Maria’s strict orders. She did not want her son tied to the incident in any way, shape, or form.

Mickey was actually looking forward to seeing his father for the first time in his life. He couldn’t wait to look into those cold, dead eyes one last time.

*****

In another part of the farm, there was another plan underway to end Terry. This plan would take effect on the night of Terry’s arrival. Mandy and Ronnie’s plan was to kill him by combined drug intoxication (CDI). The plan was to give him multiple drugs that have a fatal reaction and would lead to lethal intoxication.

Terry already had a prescription for valium, which he obviously never took, evident by only a few pills missing from the bottle. Mandy got the vicodin that Mickey only used a couple of times after his accident. Terry had oxycontin from a previous injury as well.

They already crushed the pills and had the powder in a baggie in the safe in Mandy’s office. The bottles had already been disposed of and picked up weeks ago by their garbage service.

Ronnie would feed it to him throughout the night in his whiskey, which he bought a special bottle of Terry’s favorite and most expensive brand, making it impossible for him to turn down. They, of course, had a back up plan if the first didn’t work. Once he was drunk and drugged, they would put him in his car in the garage and make it look like a suicide, but they hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

When Ronnie and Mandy had started discussing plans, Ronnie had told her that he wanted to take care of him for years but was afraid that they would lose the farm, not knowing what was in his will and if the farm was in his name alone. What he didn’t expect was for Mandy to have changed both his will and the ownership of the farm years ago without any of them the wiser. She had a feeling it would come in handy one day.

It had been after one of Terry’s biggest rampages when Mandy took the position of running the office. She found the paperwork in a compartment in Terry’s desk and had new paperwork drawn up on behalf of Terry. She had him sign both papers with him thinking he was signing off on orders and “business related” paperwork.

The new paperwork had the farm ownership split four ways - Terry, Ronnie, Mandy, and Mickey. His will was revised to leave his business and belongings equally amongst the three of them, giving them full ownership. With this new knowledge, Ronnie was 100% on board with their plan and couldn’t wait to be rid of his evil brother.

*****

Ian had taken the break up harder than Maria had expected. He was acting out of character and she had never witnessed her son behaving this way, and she was getting very worried. He had been drinking pretty heavily on his days off and she was pretty certain pills were involved as well.

She tried getting him to talk about his problems so she could offer advice and help, but he always changed the subject and finally started spending less time with her. She was hopeful that once Terry was gone that Mickey could pull Ian out of his funk.

Ian was done giving a shit. He was done with relationships and people. He decided he would build a wall of armour around his heart and there it would stay, untouched and safe. He didn’t trust anyone other than his mother, and even being around her was becoming difficult. He didn’t want to talk about his feelings or Mickey or why he was a fucking trainwreck as of late.

He decided that when he was not at work, he would self medicate. And get some ass. Lots of ass. He would fuck Mickey right out of his system, no fucking strings attached. Pump and dump was his new motto.

He had been spending most of his nights off at the gay club just outside of town. Yes, it was shady as hell, but he couldn’t muster up one single fuck. Most of the men were fucked in the dirty bathroom, no exchange of names or numbers. He never went home or brought anyone home. He was racking them up pretty quickly but that was fine with him. He got drunk, got his dick sucked or fucked some random ass, then went home to wash it all off like it never happened.

The only thing he accepted from any of his fucks were drugs, and he never even asked what they were, just popping them in his mouth like they were tic tacs. After one night of partaking in one too many a pill, he passed out and missed plans for lunch with his mother the next day. In a panic, she rushed to his apartment and found him in a pool of vomit.

That was the last straw. Maria was done with this shit and she wondered if she made the right call by putting the kibosh on him and Mickey. She had never seen her son so distraught and the guilt she felt was beyond anything she had ever experienced.

She got him out of bed and into the shower while she stripped his bed and picked up the clothes strewn about the room. She remade the bed with clean sheets and threw in a load of laundry before heading to the kitchen to make some lunch and brew a pot of coffee.

As she was finishing up the club sandwich, Ian came stumbling out of the bedroom and sat down quietly at the table, waiting for his lecture. He knew it was coming and he knew he deserved it.

The room was filled with silence, unnerving Ian.

“Mom, I’m sorry I scared you.” He said, not yet making eye contact, and feeling disappointed in himself for letting it get this bad.

“Ian, you have not been yourself and I am worried about you. Ever since you and Mickey broke up, you have been in self-destruct mode and it needs to end. It does end. Today. You need to talk to me, Ian.” She told him, while she sat the sandwich down in front of him. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across the table from her son.

Ian told her just about everything and what he didn’t she filled in with what Mickey had told her. Her heart broke for her son. He worked so hard to do something worthwhile with his life. When he loved, he gave it his all; and the world had been cruel to her perfect boy. She knew Mickey was it for Ian and vice versa, and she hated the position they were in because of some hateful, homophobic, son of a mother fucker.

Once Ian had finished explaining, she pointed at his sandwich and told him to eat. It was her turn to talk.

“From what I have seen and heard about Mickey, the man loves you. His decision was selfless because he didn’t want you to get hurt in the crossfire with Terry. He gave up the man he loved to keep him safe. I believe that with all of my heart and you should as well, Ian. Call it a mother’s intuition. There is only one thing standing in your way and we both know what, or rather, ‘who’ that is that is causing this heartache.” She paused to take a sip of her coffee and to allow those thoughts a moment to sink in.

She continued, “When we spoke, it sounded like he was at the end of his rope. Ian, his father will not be around forever. Maybe not very much longer at all. Things happen and you never know what the next day will bring, let alone the next week or month. Have faith in Mickey. Everything will work out as it is meant to be, baby. I promise.”

Ian didn’t know why, but he did believe his mother. He trusted her unequivocally and she had never steered him in the wrong direction. If she had faith in Mickey, he would too. He had done enough harm to himself over the past month and was ready to put that behind him.

Ian fell back into his healthy routine and busied himself with work and taking care of himself. He was happy to be busy and that distraction made things easier on his mind.

Ian was spending a lot of time at one farm in particular that had a similar footprint as Dead Heat. He was hoping that they would consider him for a full time position and he always made sure to take extra special care when he was with a horse.

They had several winning horses they were putting up for sale in order to bring in new stock to train. He was finishing his inspections over the next few days, so most of his time was spent in the stable. Each horse had to have a full workup to include in the sale package. Buyers had been in and out, each taking the time to fully inspect the horses and talk to Ian about their conditions.

One of the buyers had a scare when a snake had made its way into the stall while they were discussing the horse, causing it to buck, but luckily missing the buyer. Ian had set up traps to make sure that would not happen again and the owners took notice. They were pleased with Ian and his thoughtfulness. He spent time with each buyer, making them feel comfortable about their purchase.

He looked over the schedule for the next couple of days and was happy to see one specific name penciled in. He knew what he had to do to be with Mickey and this was his opportunity which he planned on taking.

The day finally arrived and his plan was in place. He had exactly what he needed to execute the plan and he set up the stall to make it extra special for his guest.

*****

Mandy and Ronnie had everything set up to initiate their plan that evening. They were waiting for Terry to arrive so Ronnie could set the tone for the evening. Mandy would be on call if plan B needed to happen. Hopefully by the end of the evening their problem would be solved,

Meanwhile, Maria and Mickey were set up for their plan to remove Terry from planet Earth. Everything was in place and Mickey was looking forward to his father being gone and out of their hair for good.

Mickey stopped in Mandy’s office to pay her a visit and found Ronnie sitting at her desk as well. They were laughing about something that had happened with an order so Mickey joined them. They had not been spending a lot of time together and he really did enjoy his family - at least these two.

They were interrupted a few times by the phone but they continued laughing and joking over coffee. They wouldn’t realize that each of them felt like a weight was getting ready to be lifted and what they were doing now would be something that would happen all of the time, not having to edit their behavior for the devil himself.

Mandy had picked up another call while Ronnie and Mickey were refilling their coffee. “OMG! What? How? When did it happen? Okay. We’re leaving now.” Mandy said frantically, causing both men to stop what they were doing and listen to Mandy.

She hung up the phone and sat quietly as the news ricocheted through her brain.

“Mandy, are you okay? What the hell was that about?” Mickey asked.

Silence filled the air for a full minute before Mandy replied.

“Dad’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing different ways to kill Terry and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Who wants to know how Terry died?
> 
> I know I promised lots of pictures and/or edits and I usually am include a lot of them in my stories but I have not been inspired to create anything. If there is anything you would like to see, please tell me because I am in serious need of some inspiration.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading and your comments and kudos are always appreciated. xo


	12. It's Like We Hit the Lottery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family learns how Terry died and Ian and Mickey finally have a conversation.
> 
> I know you all have been waiting to know what the fuck happened to Terry so I wanted to get that to you ASAP. 
> 
> This is a super short update; I apologize in advance. I have had this written for a while and was going to add more to make the chapter longer but I have just not felt like writing. Like at all. So here is just a little something to tide you over until my muse returns. I think it can be wrapped up in one or two more chapters after this one. I have it all outlined, it's just the writing part that is killing me.

*****

Ian’s plan was set and ready to go. He had trapped several snakes on the property of his client and was keeping them especially for the biggest snake he knew. He thought this was a fitting way for Terry to go. He put the euthanization syringes in a clear case labeled anti-venom and kept his bag opened for them to be in clear view in the stall. Once Terry was in the stall, he would drop the snakes in and let Terry take care of the rest.

Terry had pulled up and was speaking to one of the trainers about the horse he was here to see. He has asked for Dan to bring Terry to the stall today but told him he would be right in and that he would take it from there, allowing him time to be alone with Terry but getting him into the stall without any issues.

Ian was waiting in the tack room waiting for his moment. He was shifting nervously from one foot to the other when he heard Dan screaming for him. Without thinking he ran out of the room to find Dan and see what was wrong. When he got to the man, he saw Terry on the ground unconscious. When Ian asked what happened, Dan told him he was talking fine then started to hold his head then just went down.

Ian checked his pulse and couldn’t find one. He called 911 and they waited for the ambulance who announced him dead on arrival. Once Terry was gone, he removed the syringes from the case and put them in the correct one, then left to go back to work both shaken but happy.

He wanted to call Mickey but he thought he should wait for them to get the news officially from the hospital. He couldn’t believe that the man was dead and couldn’t even pretend to be anything but elated. He could have danced all the way back to work. He settled for blaring his favorite music and dancing in his car.

*****

“How? Where? When?” Mickey questioned not giving Mandy a chance to answer each question.

“He had a massive stroke. That’s all I know.” She told them.

“Holy shit.” Randy replied before making eye contact with the others. When he met the others eyes they simultaneously smiled widely before getting up from their chairs and celebrating with a few expletives being yelled, some fist pumps, and a group hug.

Once they were settled, a few questions were asked.

“So, what’s next? What do we do now?” Mickey asked.

“We have to go and ID the body. In his will he asked to be cremated and his ashes scattered at a few locations in Chicago. I guess we’ll be making a road trip.” She told them.

“Once we have the death certificate, we can have the business documents updated.” She continued and explained to Mickey the new arrangement as per the changes she made to Terry’s will.

“It’s like we hit the lottery. I cannot even fucking believe this shit.” Mickey replied in disbelief.

“As far as I’m concerned, we did hit the fucking lottery. The business is how it should be and we don’t have to deal with his ass anymore. I wonder if Ian would be willing to come work with us now?” Ronnie asked testing the waters.

“Yeah, that would be great if he doesn’t fucking hate my guts. Gotta talk to him but I will ask.” Mickey told his uncle.

“Once we clean his shit out of the house, why don’t you kids move back into the big house with me?” Ronnie asked.

“Fuck, yeah. Just for a little bit though. I want to have some work done in my place. The a/c is shot and I need new flooring. Want to rip that old carpeting out and put down hardwoods. Want to fix up the kitchen, too.” Mandy said excitedly.

“I’m good at my place. Just a couple little things I have been wanting to do but nothing major.” Mickey told him.

“Well, that is your home, too. Take whatever you want. I want to wipe Terry’s memory out of there.” Ronnie told them. “I’ll head to the hospital. You kids have been through enough of Terry’s shit.”

“Thanks, Uncle Ronnie. I’ll make plans for Chicago.” Mandy offered.

The older man left leaving the siblings alone.

“Mick, I can’t fucking believe this shit. God, I feel bad for being so fucking happy. Is this wrong? Is there something wrong with me” She asked.

“Mands, you think I don’t feel the same way? No. There is nothing wrong with us. There was plenty wrong with him. Good riddance. Fucking thrilled I don’t ever have to see his face again.” He said pulling his sister into a comforting hug.

“Go call your boy, Mick.” Mandy told her brother.

“Yeah. Thanks, Mands. Love you.” He told her before leaving her office for some privacy.

Mickey made his way to his office to make the call. He ran through the conversation in his head the entire way back and now he was wearing a path in the hardwoods in his office. He was nervous to call and wondering if he should call him or Maria first.

He ended up working his way up to Ian and calling Maria who was relieved that God took care of the deed and that they didn’t have to be involved, though she wanted him dead, she didn’t want it to weigh heavy on her or Mickey’s conscience. She gave him her full blessing to reach out to Ian and pursue what had been put on the back burner while Terry was still breathing.

Mickey called Ian’s cell which went to voicemail. He would try later after he knew Ian would be off work. He didn’t leave a message since this is news he wanted to deliver himself so he could hear Ian’s reaction and hopefully celebrate together. He didn’t know that Ian sent his call to voicemail not yet ready to talk to Mickey.

In the meantime, plans had to be made. Terry’s was going to be cremated and they would make the trip back to Chicago. Not so much as to fulfill his wishes but more so to get rid of him far away because the further that fucker ended up, the better.

*****

Mandy had already made plans for some stray family members to meet at The Alibi in Chicago. Ronnie had mentioned that it was close to the remaining people and kind of a dump which suited Terry. Mandy booked three rooms downtown to spend one night then head back.

Mickey ended up calling Ian later in the evening after he knew he would be done with work.

“Hi Ian, it’s Mickey.” He said awkwardly.

“Hi Mick. Listen, I know about your father. I was there today when it happened. I was going to call you but it really wasn’t my place. I’m sorry.” Ian rambled.

“You were there? Fuck.” Mickey sighed not knowing how to process this information.

“I was. I’m so sorry, Mick.” Ian stated with remorse in his voice.

“You don’t have to be fucking sorry. I’m glad he’s dead.” Mickey snapped back.

“I’m not sorry he’s dead. I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I just..” Ian sighed not knowing what to say next.

“Stop. You didn’t do anything wrong. I probably would have done the same. S’okay.” He told Ian.

“Are you okay? Can I do anything? Do you need anything?” Ian offered sincerely.

“Will you come with me to Chicago? We are having something at some shitty bar. We’ll be spending the night. I can get you a room.” Mickey told him.

“Can I stay with you?” Ian asked kicking himself for letting that slip out without thinking.

“Course you can.” Mickey told him feeling excitement rise in his chest.

“Great. Let me know when you have the details and please, if you need anything, Mick. I’m here.” He promised.

“Thanks, Ian. I appreciate that more than you know.” Mickey told him before hanging up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with having Ian kill him or having it happen by natural causes and ultimately, I didn't want Ian to have to carry that weight. I hope you aren't disappointed. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and your comments. I appreciate you so much! xoxo


	13. Dust in the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang heads to Chicago to say their goodbyes to Terry.
> 
> I apologize for the long wait to update and even more so because this is a short chapter. As I said before, I am having trouble finding the inspiration to continue but I promise I will finish. One more chapter and I will try to make it meatier than this one.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope everyone is staying home, staying safe, and staying healthy!

*****

All of the travel and funeral arrangements had been made. Thank God for Mandy because she took care of everything herself. Everyone was set to go to Chicago to bring Terry back to where he came from and they could not wait to toss him into a dirty lot or alley then go on with their lives. Ian had insisted on going to Chicago with them for moral support so Mandy booked him a room at the same hotel. Or so Mickey and Ian thought not even considering that Mandy would strike again with her hotel shenanigans.

  
Mandy indeed struck again. Mickey and Ian stood at the check-in desk after being told there was only one room and that they were fully booked. They simultaneously looked at each other and shook their heads before making their way to the elevators. They would be sure to thank Mandy later.

  
Mickey unlocked the door, tossed his bag onto the bed, and turned on the TV before he began to unpack while Ian went into the restroom. As he started to pull out his toiletries, he heard mention of Senator Monaghan and he jerked his head to the screen when he saw an image of the senator being escorted out of a building to a waiting car, trying to cut through the crowd with a couple of his assistants. He took in a sharp breath hoping that it would be nothing detrimental to Ian’s well-being because frankly, they both had been through enough lately.

  
He turned up the volume to listen to the news caster report about how the senator was exposed for sexual harassment and aggressive behavior. Several people had come forward to bring complaints against him. Mickey knew Ian would find out pretty quickly so he figured it best that he be the one to break it to him. Apparently the #metoo project had given these people the courage speak up. He sat on the bed to try to figure out how he was going to address this with Ian in the most non-damaging way possible.

  
Mickey looked up when Ian threw his on the other side of the bed to begin his unpacking. The TV was now on mute but the story was still paying.

  
“Hey Ian, there’s something I gotta tell you, man. Not sure how you’re gonna take it but I thought it would be better coming from me. Take a seat.” Mickey said as he gently patted the spot next to him on the bed.

  
“Oh Christ, what it is?” He said as that sinking feeling hit him like a truck.

  
“Some people are coming forward and accusing your dad of harassment and aggressive behavior. It’s all over the news.” Mickey told him as gently as possible not certain of how Ian would react.

  
“Seriously?” Ian questioned before bursting out in laughter. “It’s about fucking time!! I can’t believe it took this long for someone to say something.”

  
“You okay with this? Not upset at all?” Mickey asked waiting for a secondary reaction once the reality of the situation would strike Ian.

  
“Nah. Not in the least. Happy actually. That’s fucking awesome. You hungry? Let’s get a bite.” Ian said as he walked his toiletry bag to the bathroom.  
A wave of relief rushed over Mickey as he shrugged. “Hell yeah! Starving, man.”

And with that the men made their way down to the hotel pub to grab some burgers and beers.

*****

The day of the ceremony was like having an elephant that you didn’t know was sitting on your chest finally get up and walk away. They got to say goodbye to Terry. For good.  
Mandy had everyone meet at The Alibi which was a crusty old dive bar that Terry used to frequent. It was the kind of place where your shoes stuck to the floor and Mickey thought that was fitting. Nothing but the best for their dad.

  
About twenty people showed to pay their respects while Mickey and Ian sat at the bar downing beers. The bar was pretty packed for a Thursday but it made sense after the bartender told them it was unemployment check day.

  
Ian was at the very end of the bar with Mickey next to him and every other stool was taken. Ronnie took the brunt of the interaction with everyone who was there for Terry so that Mickey and Mandy could relax a bit. Mandy was currently playing pool with some guy she had been flirting with since they arrived.

  
“Get me another beer, Mickey! Pleeeeaaasse.” His tipsy sister yelled and Mickey just rolled his eyes and put his hands up for the bartender.

  
The girl next to Ian asked Mickey if that was his girlfriend to which he made a disgusted face and replied enthusiastically “Hell no. She’s my sister.”

  
The girl started laughing and said, “Thank God. That’s my brother and I didn’t want to have to break up another fight.”

  
“Nah. No worries here.” He replied. “I’m Mickey and this is Ian.”

  
“Ian. I love that name. I had a brother named Ian. He passed away when I was little. I still miss him every day.” She told them obviously having had a few drinks herself.

  
“I’m real sorry to hear that.” Ian answered with an unsettled feeling.

  
“I’m Fiona. That’s my brother Lip. Phillip. Lip is his stupid fucking nickname.” She laughed.

  
Ian’s blood ran cold. He got up quickly and went to the restroom.

  
Fiona sat there bug-eyed while Mickey apologized and went after Ian. He found Ian hunched over trying to catch his breathe. He was sure Ian didn’t even notice he was there as his mind was clearly somewhere else.

  
“Ian, you okay? Do you know here?” Mickey asked as he knelt in front of him placing a hand on him.

  
Ian looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were misty and his breathing was heavy.

“Hey, can I get you something? Water? You want to come sit down.” Mickey asked.

  
Ian finally acknowledged Mickey’s presence and nodded.

  
He helped Ian back out to the bar to find an empty table and chair. When he came out, Fiona was looking at him like she had seen a ghost now, reality finally hitting her.

  
She walked over slowly to the table and stood in front of Ian.

  
“Gallagher?” He said with wide and teary eyes.

  
“Yeah, how’d you know that?” She questioned.

  
“I’m your brother.” He told her.

  
Mickey looked back and forth between them finally understanding what was happening.

  
He jumped up quickly and offered her a seat, pulling it out for her. She sat down next to Ian her eyes now welling with tears.

  
“I’m gonna grab you both some water. Be back in a minute.” He said getting no response from either of them.

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a short little prologue to kick off the story. As always, thoughts and feedback are welcome, just don't be a hateful asshole. (You know who you are. 😉) Kudos are always appreciated as well.
> 
> Much love and I cannot wait until we FINALLY get to see a behind the scenes or table read shot of these two bumblebees soon!!
> 
> I am not a horse expert by any means. I know very limited information but will research to try to be as realistic as possible. If something is not correct, please feel free to comment and I will be happy to fix my mistake!
> 
> Mi, Jengibre: My ginger


End file.
